IN bright sunshine on Sunday last at the Dagg Point Cricket ground in Bartica in Essequibo, a good size crowd watched as Bartica Strikers got the better Bartica ‘under Digges’ in the Bartica T20 round-robin tournament as such a tournament returned to Town for the first time in close to a decade.

On last Sunday, overnight and morning delayed the game but when play finally commenced at 14:00 hours, 17-year-old Ashton Simmons 52, and Hamel Lamb 50 led with half-centuries while Delroy Brown 25 and Dellon Decosta 26 also contributed as the Bartica Gladiators scored 195-9.
Inzamam Bacchus got 3-17 with Massiah Joseph and James McIntyre taking two wickets each.
In reply, Bartica Trendsetters were dismissed for 184 with Inzamam Bacchus leading the way with 50. Andrew Simmons made 39, Orrin Gibson 34 and Massiah Joseph 18. Brown had 3-28, Lamb took 3-45 and Ashton Simmons grabbed 2-13
On Saturday, Bartica super stickers made 268-2 from 20 overs. The 18-year-old Ronaldo Jeffrey led the way with a pugnacious unbeaten 168 and shared in a century partnership with Ricardo Williams who contributed 58.
Devon Schroeder and Curtis Simmons had a wicket each for Bartica ‘under Dagg’ lived up to their name and were bundled on for 76 with only Daniel Mohabir (15) and Azir Khalil (10) offering token resistance Kevon Stephens was the architect of destruction with 4-15 he got support from Garfield Phillips and Keanu Harry who had two wickets each.

Meanwhile, former Guyana U-19 Wicket-Keeper Delroy Jacobs who is involved in training a group of cricketers and is a part of this competition, said his biggest challenge is getting hardball cricket back to Bartica for the FIRST time in a decade.
“Getting the players to come out. It was difficult at first but now it’s getting better and gelling together and I am proud of this young man Renaldo Jeffery. He has played U-17 and U-19 for Essequibo and the Rest team in the senior Inter-County,” said Jacobs who played for Malteenoes at first division level. Jacobs spoke glowingly of left-arm pacer Kevon Stevens, Aston Simmons and Inzamam Bacchus whom he said are among the talented youths in Bartica.
“We played in the Essequibo Busta tournament and reached the semi-finals. Olvera DeCasto and I have done most of the funding for this tournament, but we have gotten sponsorship from most of the businesses here in Bartica.
Look for the players I have mentioned and want your readers to that we have a group of players who could compete with any team in Guyana,” added Jacobs who lived and played cricket in Barbados for several years.