GCB/ El Dorado Inter-county final
-Half centuries for Deonarine, Ramdeen and Barnwell
DIMUNITIVE opener Sewnarine Chattergoon struck a century and along with half centuries from Narsingh Deonarine and Richard Ramdeen, guided Berbice to a humiliating 107 runs victory over defending champions Demerara in the final of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/ El Dorado Inter-county limited overs tournament at the Guyana National Stadium, last Saturday night.

Chattergoon made 102, while Deonarine’s unbeaten 74 and Ramdeen’s 62 guided the new champions to 333-5 from their 50 overs, before they held Demerara to 206-9 from their quota of overs of which national all rounder Christopher Barnwell made 69.

Having won the toss and opting to take first strike on a slow wicket in hot conditions, Berbice got a rampant start from Chattergoon and Ramdeen who posted 127 for the first wicket from 23.1 overs, with Chattergoon setting the scene for his team, with two fours off the bowling of Barnwell (2-81) in the first over of the day.

Another four through mid-wicket by Chattergoon off Barnwell in the third over pushed the score to 18-0, before Ramdeen got into the act by hitting Barnwell whose first five overs went for 37 runs, through the cover region for four, as Berbice’s 50 was realised in the 10th over.

The runs continued to flow off the bat of Chattergoon who was given several lives by the Demerara fielders who seemed to be waiting for something to happen instead of making it happen, as all their bowlers except Kellon Carmichael, did not look the part in the final.

Carmichael conceded 48 runs from his 10 overs of medium pace while Steven Jacobs who was unfortunate not to have picked up more than the solitary wicket of Chattergoon contributed 76 runs to the Berbice batting total from his 10 overs.

Demerara skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan seemed to have no answer to the rampant Ancient County openers, using his five main bowlers in Barnwell, Carmichael, Jacobs, Sauid Drepaul who took five wickets in the first round against minnows Essequibo and his deputy Zaheer Mohammed before the 20th over, all to no avail.

Chattergoon and Ramdeen treated all the bowlers with scant respect as they motored along their merry way for their team, hitting boundary after boundary enroute to their half centuries, with the latter hitting Drepaul for a six over midwicket followed by two fours from successive deliveries.

Cramps in his right leg became the focus of attention for Ramdeen after passing his 50 from 57 deliveries, hitting six fours and one six , it was only a matter of time before he was dismissed, with same happening via the run out route.

He turned a delivery from Jacobs to short midwicket and set off for the run, but Chattergoon who responded in the positive before saying no after making a few steps out of his crease, did not go through with same, leaving Ramdeen half way, as Mohammed lobbed in his return to wicketkeeper Joseph Perry.

It brought their 127 runs first wicket partnership which took 23 overs to compile, to an end, with Ramdeen facing 67 balls and hitting seven fours and one six up to the time of his demise, with Chattergoon on 60.

Skipper Assad Fudadin (34) who was brimming with confidence coming into this match, joined Chattergoon and they added a further 71 for the second wicket, with Chattergoon who was dropped by Carmichael at point off Drepaul, posting his century in fine style when he pulled Drepaul through midwicket for four.

He faced 115 deliveries and struck 10 of it for four and watched from the other end, as his skipper pulled a short delivery from Drepaul into the mound for six, before he was brilliantly taken by Mohammed over his head at cover from a lofted but full blooded drive off Barnwell.

Deonarine joined Chattergoon and it was from here the newly crowned champions’ innings took another gear, even though they lost the latter who was bowled by Jacobs after giving himself room to pull a delivery through forward square for 102 from 119 balls with 10 fours.

A rampant Deonarine who utilised 44 balls for his unbeaten 74 hitting 10 fours and one six punished anything short and loose and along with Royston Crandon (16) who sent Jacobs sailing over long on for six, added a quick fire 41 from four overs for Berbice.

National Under-19 all rounder Jonathan Foo was dropped by Leon Johnson at deep midwicket off Jacobs and he responded by hitting the next delivery harder over the same position and into the stands for his lone maximum to go along with his two fours for his 29 made off 18 deliveries.

Deonarine struck Barnwell through midwicket for four before he was dropped later in his innings by the same fielder in the final over, prior to which he initiated 24 from a Jacobs over which included two fours and two sixes struck by himself and Foo.

Carmichael redeemed himself for the catches he grassed, when he removed Royston Crandon to end with 1-48 from his 10 overs but at that stage, the salt was already soaked and beginning to dry itself in Demerara’s wound, as Berbice ended on 333-5 at the end of their 50 overs.

When Demerara began their reply, a pugnacious looking Barnwell took the fight to the Berbicians by hitting Esaun Crandon back over his head twice for boundaries in the third over as Demerara raced to 17 without loss.

His partner a sedate looking Rajendra Chandrika (03) did not last long to cause any problems, as he picked out Fudadin who ran back from mid off to long off to hold onto a skier off the bowling of Brandon Bess (1-27).

Barnwell struck a Bess no ball through mid on for four and after being bowled by the free hit which unfortunately for Bess and Berbice was another no ball, he responded by hitting the next delivery (a free hit) for four.

West Indies middle order batsman Travis Dowlin was his partner at the other end and he showed his finesse to the crowd, when he caressed Bess elegantly through extra cover for four while Barnwell pushed Esaun Crandon past mid on for another one of his eight fours.

They added 72 for the second wicket from 13 overs, with Barnwell who was dropped by Esaun Crandon at long off when he attempted to hit Veerasammy Permaul somewhere into the mound, cutting the said bowler through point for four then watched as Dowlin hoisted him into the mound for a maximum.

Chattergoon, who replaced Bess at the Pavilion End, accounted for Dowlin who was adjudged lbw for 31 made off 29 deliveries with two fours and one six and his demise brought Sarwan who was once labeled the world’s best finisher in limited overs cricket to the wicket.

Barnwell added 10 with his skipper before Royston Crandon (3-33) knocked back his leg stump with his first delivery and when Gajanand Singh (10) who hit the same bowler two balls later for four through midwicket was bowled in his next over, Demerara were 130-4.

Both Jacobs and Johnson who made 10 each, found the going rough against the all spin attack which was in operation for Berbice and they succumbed easily, with Johnson going to the Crandon combination, caught by Esaun off Royston who took a stunner diving to his right at point to remove Jacobs off Bishoo.

It became 165-7 with the dismissal of Sarwan who survived a confident appeal for a catch at the wicket off Royston Crandon, then was given a life by Esaun Crandon who grassed one running in from long off, after which he struck Devendra Bishoo (3-27) through twice over extra cover for four, was caught by Deonarine off Royston Crandon.

It was not how soon Demerara would be bowled out after Sarwan’s dismissal, but how much they would make as Berbice ensured the tight rein they had was never loose, and at the end of 50 overs Demerara found themselves 107 runs short with Drepaul and Perry being the not out batsmen on 19 and 2 respectively and their team 206-9, thus handing Berbice the title without too much of a fight.

Berbice received the beautiful El Dorado trophy and $100,000, leaving Demerara to settle for the runner-up prize of $50,000 while Chattergoon walked away with $15,000 and a trophy as his spoils after being adjudged the man of the match.

Photo caption: Berbice opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon leaves the field after his superbl 102 against Demerara in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) El Dorado final.

BERBICE innings
S. Chattergoon b Jacobs 102
R. Ramdeen run out (Jacobs) 66
A. Fudadin c Mohammed b Barnwell 34
N. Deonarine not out 74
R. Crandon lbw Carmichael 16
J. Foo c Carmichael b Barnwell 25
E. Crandon not out 00

Extras: 12w, 2b, 2lb 16

Total for 5 wickets off 50 overs 333

Fall of wickets: 1-127 (Ramdeen); 2-198 (Fudadin); 3-222 (Chattergoon); 4-263 (R. Crandon); 5-321(Foo)

Bowling: Barnwell 10-0 -81-2, Carmichael 10-1-48-1, Jacobs 10- 0- 76-1, Drepaul 8-0-59-0, Mohammed 9-0-47-0, Singh 3-0-18-0

DEMERARA innings
C. Barnwell b R. Crandon 69
R. Chandrika c Fudadin b Bess 03
T. Dowlin lbw Chattergoon 31
R. Sarwan c Deonarine b Permaul 29
G. Singh b R. Crandon 09
L. Johnson b R. Crandon 10
S. Jacobs c E. Crandon b Bishoo 10
Z. Mohammed stp Hicks b Bishoo 17
S. Drepaul not out 19
K. Carmichael c wkpr Hicks b Bishoo 01
J. Perry not out 02
Extras: 4w, 3nb, 5lb 12

Total for 9 wickets off 50 overs 206

Fall of wicket: 1-33 (Chandrika); 2-105 (Dowlin); 3-115 (Barnwell); 4-130 (Singh); 5-154 (Johnson); 6-165 (Jacobs); 7-165 (Sarwan);8-195(Mohammed); 9-199(Carmichael); 10().

Bowling: E. Crandon 7-0-34-0, Bess 4-0-27-1, Chattergoon 10-0-37-1, Permaul 10-0-40-1, R. Crandon 8-0-33-3, Bishoo 10-0-27-3, Fudadin 1-0-