– Lower Corentyne wins title
By Rajiv Bisnauth
West Indies youth player,Tevin Imlach,was seven runs short of a hundred,and his unbeaten innings was the mainstay in East Bank’s five-wicket win in the final round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Jaguars Franchise League.
Playing against hosts East Coast Demerara at the Enterprise Busta Sports Club ground, Imlach’s superb knock ensured that the three day contest was steered in his team’s direction.
The visitors began the day 65 runs short of victory, with five wickets at their disposal. However, it took them 14 overs during the morning session to achieve the victory target of 178.
Overnight batsmen Imlach and Ryan Shun survived some testing moments, but were equal to the task, playing level-headed cricket from the start and taking their overnight gutsy unbroken sixth-wicket stand to the end.
East Bank were staring at another defeat after they found themselves in a perilous position at 56-5 at one stage of the final session of day two, but Imlach and Shun illustrated the discipline needed in ensuring their team crossed the final hurdle.
Imlach’s innings of 93 spanned 172 minutes, 137 balls, inclusive of five fours and five sixes. Shun was left unbeaten on 45.
Pacer,Paul Wintz, who produced a brilliant opening spell at the start of the visitors second innings,finished with 4-70, while left-arm pacer Gavin Moriah was the other successful bowler with 1-20.
Meanwhile, Lower Corentyne were crowned overall champions after they ended the eight-team tournament at the top of the points standing.
They defeated West Berbice by an innings and 302 runs for their sixth outright victory in the seven round tournament.
The reigning local franchise 50 overs champions dismissed West Berbice for 173 in their second innings, even after they were made to wait a few hours more than they anticipated,after overnight rain forced a delayed start to the third and final day. Devon Clements, who bagged 5-47 and Veerasammy Permaul,who took 4-29,were the chief destroyers.
Leon Andrews did his best to keep the bowlers at bay, but fell short of a well-deserved century when he was the last batman dismissed for 91. Brentnol Woolford contributed 32.
Meanwhile,over at GCC, Upper Corentyne were dismissed for 285 after resuming on their overnight score of 248-6. Assad Fudadin went on to make 151, added 18 runs to his overnight score.
At Tucshen, the home team cemented their place at second in the points standing when the registered an outright victory over Essequibo.
