THANKS to an aggressive  unbeaten century from national Twenty20 middle order batsman Jonathan Foo, Universal DVD Club Berbice Titans warmed up for their opening encounter in the inaugural Hits and Jams Masters Cup T20 tournament with a comfortable four wickets victory over Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) yesterday. After seeing their host score an imposing 195 for 4 from their 20 overs, of which guest player Leon Johnson struck an unbeaten 57 while Gajanand Singh supported with 46, Universal DVD Club Berbice Titans reached 197 for 6 from 18.3 overs, thanks to Foo’s unbeaten 126.
When the Queenstown based DCC took first strike on their home ground, they lost Andrew Lyght Jnr who was bowled by West Indies fast bowler Brandon Bess’ first ball of the third over for 3, to be 15 for 1.
Diminutive opener Leron Primo then struck Esaun Crandon for back to back sixes off successive deliveries, before he was caught at backward point off the next delivery for 26.
His dismissal paved the way for Singh and Johnson to join forces and they pushed the score along heavily, with Singh hitting Royston Crandon for two sixes in successive overs, followed by boundaries off West Indies leg spinner Devendra Bishoo and national left arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul.
Guyana and West Indies T20 all rounder Christopher Barnwell also looked threatening following the dismissal of Singh who was caught by Devon Clements at deep midwicket off Bishoo for 46 (4×4, 2×60, when he struck Permaul for six off his first delivery, before he was bowled by Bishoo for 13.
National wicketkeeper/batsman Derwin Christian joined Johnson and they took the attack to the Ancient County team, with Johnson dispatching the bowlers to all parts of the venue, much to the delight of his teammates, while Christian refused to be left out, when he hoisted Bishoo back over his head for his lone six.
Deservingly, Johnson who is the vice captain of the Hits and Jams All-star lineup, reached his half century off the penultimate ball of his team’s innings, by hitting Bess over wide long on for his fourth six, while the final delivery was dispatched through point for his third four.
Christian was unbeaten on 24 , which was decorated with three fours and one six, while Bishoo took 2 for 44 for Universal DVD Club Berbice Titans, whose reply got off to a disastrous start, when they lost Richard Ramdeen off the second ball of the first over without scoring.
Former national Under-19 skipper Anthony Bramble who opened the innings with Ramdeen, hit Primo over long on for 6 before he picked out Christian at backward point off the final delivery of the second over, leaving the reigning national T20 champions on 16 for 2.
Esaun Crandon was used as a pinch hitter at number three and showed why when he struck Johnson over his head for six, while Foo who had replaced Bramble signaled the way things would be when he struck Barnwell for 6,4,4 off successive deliveries in one over.
The elder Crandon, who replaced Narsingh Deonarine in the Titans squad for this weekend’s two day tournament, fell to a direct hit from Jamal Hinckson who was stationed at short cover before Foo hit Totaram Bishun back over his head for six to move into the 40’s, while he reached his first 50 from 23 deliveries when he struck Christian over long on for six.
He celebrated his half century by hitting the same bowler for another six and four off successive deliveries, while Johnson was dispatched for three sixes in his third over in which the Titans saw Foo scoring 25 runs in same.
Having lost the services of Bishun who burst a webbing as he fielded a fiercely driven delivery from Foo off his own bowling, Barnwell turned back to the part time leg spin of Johnson, to which Foo said thank you by hitting the bowler for his ninth six.
He reached his century from 40 deliveries, counting nine fours to go with his nine sixes, taking 17 more deliveries to do so and even though he saw the demise of both Royston Crandon who was lbw to Singh for 6 and Assad Fudadin, Foo continued to plunder the home team’s bowling.
He was given three lives by Christian, Lyght and Singh in that order and when victory was achieved for his team, he had taken nine more deliveries  to score 26 more runs adding two more sixes and one four, taking his overall boundary count to 11 sixes and 10 fours in his 49 balls unbeaten 126.
The highly underrated Omesh Dhanram ended with 2 for 17 from two overs for DCC who were forced to watch as Foo tore into their bowling attack like a vulture into its found carcass.