THE historic Port Mourant Cricket Club held their nerves on Sunday last to defeat arch rivals Rose Hall Community Centre Cricket Club by two wickets to emerge as the champions of the Berbice Cricket Board Under 21 tournament.
Playing in front of a sizeable crowd at the Port Mourant Ground, the home team required 13 runs with only two wickets in hands but level headed batting from Asgerally Nabie and Navin Boodwah took them home to start wild celebration from the home team supporters.
Rose Hall Canje batted first in very heated weather after Port Mourant won the toss and invited them to take first strike at the crease.
They soon found themselves 10 for 2 in the third over as medium pacer Doodnauth Seemangal bowled Romeo Ramdehall for 00 and off spinner Salim Khan bowled Luke Amsterdam first ball.
The ultra-aggressive Sanjay Algu and Adrian Hetmyer added 30 for the 3rd wicket before Hetmyer was caught off Seemangal for 04.
The visitors never fully recovered as wickets fell at regular intervals as the Port Mourant bowlers kept the pressure on.
Richard Ramdehall (08), Sanjay Algu 43, Zadeen LaRose 07, Donavan Newland 09, Avishkar Beharry 09, Devon Wharton 09 all fell as the innings fell apart.
Micheal Newland was last dismissed for 25, L.B.W to off spinner Navin Boodwah while Brandon Brijmodd was unbeaten on 01.
Rose Hall Canje ended on 122 all out in 33 of their allotted 50 overs. Doodnauth Seemangal 2 for 30, Salim Khan 2 for 34, Romeo Deonarain 3 for 19 and Navin Boodwah 3 for 21 were the best bowlers for the eventual champions.
Needing to score 123 from 50 overs to lift their first ever Under 21 title, Port Mourant were given a rousing opening stand of 38 runs in just four overs by national youth players Rampersaud Ramnauth and Romeo Deonarain.
Deonarain was the first to depart after his stumps were sent flying by Sanjay Algoo for 10 in the fourth over.
Vishal Williams and Ramnauth then joined hands to add another 15 runs for the second wicket before the latter was caught off the bowling of off spinner Richard Ramdehall for 29 in the 8th over.
Williams was then run out for 12 after being involved in a mix up with Mukesh Rampersaud as the home team slipped to 61 for 3.
Smart batting from Asgerally Nabbie 19 not out then guided the home team to the close and exciting victory.
Salim Khan supported with 12 and Navin Boodwah made 8 in the tense finish. Ramario Ramdehall ended with 3 for 32 from ten overs, Avishkar Beharry 2 for 5 (3 overs), Sanjay Algu 1 for 18 (3 overs) and Richard Ramdehall 1 for 24 were the successful bowlers for the Rose Hall Canje team.
Romeo Deonarain, the national and Demerara Under 19 opening batsman and off spinner was named Man of the Finals for his impressive bowling spell of 9-3-19-4 and scoring 10 runs.
The winners received $80,000.00 while the runner up took home $40,000.00. Both teams also received trophies.
President of the Berbice Cricket Board, Dr. Cecil Beharry expressed gratitude to the Management and staff of Cardiology Services Inc with special mention made of its head Dr. Mahendra Carpen.
The BCB Head noted that the Under 21 tournament was a vital bridge for Under 19 players preparing to enter the first division level.
He urged the sponsor to continuing supporting Berbice Cricket as the BCB strive to produce more players for the West Indies.
Dr. Carpen, the widely respected heart surgeon expressed his delight at the successful hosting of the tournament and indicated that his company would continue to sponsor the tournament for the next five years.
He urged the cricketers to pursuit an educational background and to develop a simple formula of discipline, hard work and dedication.