THE Georgetown Cricket Club fended off a spirited Malteenoes bowling attack, led by skipper Nichosie Barker, yesterday afternoon at Bourda after rain helped to decide a victor in the final day of the Noble House Seafoods second-division two-day semi-finals.

When play ended without a match result, GCC advanced due to recording more outright wins in the preliminary round of competition.

The rain washed out the other semi-final between Police and Everest. It was easier to decide a winner from the Eve Leary ground clash, since Police were already ahead in the first innings by five runs with six wickets in hand.  They had bowled out Everest for 137 after left-arm orthodox spinner Heimchan Persaud had dissected the visitors’ batting with 7-12 on Saturday.  Andrew Lyght Jr. then belted nine fours and a six in a score of 69 to help push the Police team to 142-4. Everest’s left arm spinner Javed Rasheed had taken all four wickets.

Play at the GCC ground was more complicated and since Malteenoes had batted all day on Saturday, the game was nowhere close to being decided.

For most of Sunday morning and some of the afternoon, the players were unsure if they would have taken to the field due to the weather. When they did, the visitors declared.  For Malteenoes to reach the championship clash they had to bowl out the home team for less runs that they made (211-5) and they almost did that in just over two hours of play.

Barker took four wickets for 17 runs from 17 overs with his off spin. He delivered six maidens, five of which were consecutive.  Opening bowler Cordell Mars, who got a wicket in his second over, finished with 2-16 from seven overs, but when the umpires stopped play, GCC were still standing at 77-7 from 36 overs.

Opener Marlon Persaud, who faced 90 balls for a top score of 22 (2x4s) and Bernard Bailey, who faced 38 balls in an unbeaten score of 12, were the main resistance for GCC.  When Persaud fell, Bailey was left to see his team home and he did, by shielding Andsugga Rodrigues (08 runs), who also defended well.