East Bank Eagles & GT Panthers register wins at Bourda

EAST Bank Eagles beat Upper Demerara Scorpions by eight wickets, while Georgetown Panthers demolished East Coast Canje Pheasants by 10 wickets in the Demerara Cricket Board’s Shaw Voltcom Construction Inc/Precision Service Centre Inc Inter-Association’s T20 cricket tournament on Sunday at Bourda.

In a one-sided encounter at a venue which produced West Indies’ first Test victory in 1930, the Eagles opted to bat in sweltering heat on a pitch with a bit of bounce, and were blown away for a paltry 39-9 when their innings closed in just 11 overs.

Renaldo Ali Mohammed, the 25-year-old former West Indies U-19 seamer, ran through the batting line-up like a sharp knife through butter with 7-5 from two overs.

Ali Mohammed, who took a single wicket in his two regional 50-over games for Guyana in 2019, captured career best figures yesterday due to steady bowling aided by very poor batting, and ripped out the last seven wickets as the Eagles catapulted from 30-2 in the ninth over to their embarrassing 39-9.

For the Eagles, Former West Indies Test opener Rajendra Chandraka, and Nicolas Shiopersaud both looked good, with the former, who played five Tests between June 2015 and July 2016, briefly showing his elegance.

Dwayne Dick made the breakthrough at 15-1 when he removed Shiopersaud (5), before Carlos LaRose bowled a short ball to Chandraka, which he dispatched over cover for four.

The next delivery was pitched up, and the East Coast Skipper, who scored 13 First-Class fifties and century before playing the last of his 60-First-Class in December 2016, executed a sublime straight-drive for back-to-back boundaries.
Dominic Glasgow (8) and Chandraka carried the score to 30, before LaRose, working up some good pace, trapped Chandraka (11) with a perfect inswinger for Ali Mohammed to commence his demolition job.

When the Panthers began their chase of 40, former West Indies U-19 batter Raymond Pereez, and the left-handed Brandon Jaikarran, who replaced former Guyana batter Shemroy Barrington at the top of the order due to small victory target, provided their team with an emphatic victory, as galloped to 44-0 in 4.1 overs to keep their unbeaten streak intact.

Pereez continued his consistency from last year as he dominated the partnership, scoring 32 of the 44 runs scored by his team, while Jaikarran (10) looked solid as he played the supporting role.
Perez, who hit one four and three sixes from 17 balls, deposited Neeran Bani for a gigantic six with scores level, much to the delight of the raucous partisan GT fans.

Earlier, in the morning game, Scorpions, led by 32 from 22 balls with six fours from Nickosie Barker, an unbeaten 29 from Romeo Deonarain, 18 from Judell McAllister and 11 from skipper Gariel McDonald, reached 122-7 off their allotted 20 overs.
Buddan Bakash and Quazim Yusuf had two wickets, each, for Eagles, who responded with 123-2 in 15.4 overs.

Man-of-the-Match Rickey Sargent played some classy shots in his unbeaten 52 from 42 balls decorated with four fours and a six, while former National U-19 left-hander Shamar Yearwood finished undefeated, 25, with a six and a four in an unbroken partnership worth 57 runs.

Earlier, Ershad Ali contributed 34 from 18 with three sixes and three fours, before he was bowled by Barker at 60-2.
The final preliminary round is set for Saturday at the DCC. West Demerara will oppose Upper Demerara in the morning game from 09:00hrs, while GT faces off with East Bank from 13:00hrs.
The semi-finals are scheduled for Sunday at Bourda.