PORT Mourant Cricket Club held their nerve 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 (BCB) U-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 hand, 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 hot conditions after being invited to do so by Port Mourant.
They soon found themselves 10 for 2 in the third over as medium-pacer Doodnauth Seemangal bowled Romeo Ramdehall (0), and off-spinner Salim Khan bowled Luke Amsterdam first ball.
The ultra-aggressive Sanjay Algu and Adrian Hetmyer added 30 for the third wicket before Hetmyer (4) was caught off Seemangal.
The visitors never recovered as wickets fell at regular intervals as the Port Mourant bowlers applied the pressure. Only Sanjay Algu offered fight with 43 before Micheal Newland was last dismissed for 25, L.B.W to off-spinner Navin Boodwah.
Richard Ramdehall 8, Zadeen LaRose 7, Donavan Newland 9, Avishkar Beharry 9, Devon Wharton 9 all failed to reach double figures, while Brandon Brijmodd was unbeaten on one.
Rose Hall Canje ended on 122 all out off 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 U-21 title, Port Mourant were given a rousing opening stand of 38 in just four overs by national youth players Rampersaud Ramnauth and Romeo Deonarain.
Deonarain (10) was the first to depart after his stumps were sent flying by Sanjay Algoo in the fourth over. Vishal Williams and Ramnauth then added 15 for the second wicket before the latter was dismissed by off-spinner Richard Ramdehall for 29 in the eighth over.
Williams was 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 Asgaralli Nabbie 19 not out then guided
the home team to an exciting victory.
Salim Khan supported with 12 and Navin Boodwah made eight in the tense finish.
Ramario Ramdehall ended with 3 for 32 from ten overs, Avishkar Beharry 2 for 5 in a losing cause.
Off-spinner Deonarain was named Man of the Finals for his impressive bowling spell of 9-3-19-4.
The winners received $80,000, while the runners-up took home $40,000. Both teams were presented with trophies.
