Barnwell; Perez help panthers maul Jaguars

A LARGE and vocal crowd watched as Chris Barnwell and Raymond Perez lead a massacre at DCC on Saturday as the Georgetown Panthers beat West Demerara Jaguars by 84 runs in the final of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) SVC Precision Services Centre T20 Inter-Association Cricket Tournament.

Barnwell hit a brutal, unbeaten 155 from 65 balls with 11 fours and 13 sixes and shared in a 233-run second-wicket stand with national first-class selectee Perez, whose supporting undefeated 76 from 46 balls was decorated with four fours and five sixes.

Georgetown galloped to 240-1 in 20 overs.

Despite an unbeaten 47 from 39 balls with two fours and five sixes from Mahendra Dhanpaul and 39 from opener Ushadeva Balgobin which lasted 25 balls and included five fours and a six, West Demerara were restricted to 156-9 when their 20 overs expired.

Off-spinner Dwayne Dick who dismissed Navindra Persaud (18) and Malcolm Hubbard (0) with consecutive deliveries, took 2-20, while left-arm spinner Devon Lord who was also on a hat-trick when he removed Kishaun Tracy (15) and Nkosi Major (0) had 2-31.

They were supported by national selectee Steven Sankar who captured 2-23.

Georgetown, elected to bat on a flat track, small ground and lightning-fast outfield and former Guyana first-class batter Shemroy Barrington drove left-arm spinner Navendra Persaud sweetly past cover for four before he was LBW for five to Aryan Persaud at 7-1.

This started the Barnwell/Perez show in scorching heat.

The experienced Barnwell deposited Navendra Persaud for a couple of crunching boundaries before lofting Persaud for a four and six.

Perez, the leading run-scorer in the four-team tournament, was not to be left out of the run feast and ‘walked’ into pacer Narendra Persaud, pulling him savagely for four.
The six power-play overs produced 41 runs while the 50 was posted in seven overs.

Boundaries rained on sunny at the Queenstown venue as both batters flayed the hapless attack to all parts of the ground to the delight of a festive crowd which included Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson and his daughter.

The 100 came up in the 12th over as the pair were given many ‘gifts’ which they happily dispatched with disdain; Barnwell reached his 50 from 21 balls with three fours and three sixes, while Perez, who will hope to continue his fine form if he makes his debut in St Kitts, reached his 50 from 35 balls with three fours and a similar number of sixes.

The atmosphere was ‘CPL-like’ with the infinity music system from the East Coast providing pulsating music in between overs.

150 was posted in the 16th over as Barnwell got to his century off just 50 balls with eight fours and seven mighty sixes as runs continued to flow.

Off-spinner Richi Looknauth, who has replaced Aksaya Persaud in the Guyana team which leaves for St Kitts today, surprisingly opted not to bowl.

He instead used the ‘match ups’ of the right handers as an excuse as Barnwell flicked pacer Persaud for six and guided him to the third man boundary in an over that cost 13.

Barnwell, who got to his 150 from 62 balls with 10 fours and 13 sixes, deposited Navindra Persaud onto the roof of Roger Harper’s house over on Lance Gibbs Street to bring up the 200 in an over which cost 30 and included five sixes as the carnage continued.

Georgetown collected $200,000 and the winner’s trophy while West Demerara took home $100,000 and a trophy for being runners-up.

Each member of the two teams and match officials received medals.

There was live commentary on YouTube by FL Sports
In the third-place play-off, Vishwanath Ramlakhan hit an unbeaten 60 to take East Coast to 143-7 in a losing cause against East Bank who responded with 148-4.

East Bank took home $50,000 while East Coast had to settle for fourth place and got $25,000. Renaldo Ali Mohammed was named MVP of the tournament and pocked $25,000.