THE Rose Hall Town Bakewell Second Division team on Sunday overcame great odds to advance to the quarter-finals of the Berbice Cricket Board Anil Lalsa Second Division Tournament.
The young team consisting of several under-sixteen players defeated the strong Tucber Park team by three wickets after stand-in captain Jonathan Rampersaud led from the front with a majestic knock of 86 not out.
The team was missing several of its senior players due to work and overseas commitments. Those included, Romesh Bharrat, skipper Surendra Kissoonlall, Rafeal Mckenzie, Kumalchand Ramnarace, Jermey Sandia, Jason Sinclair and Mathew Perierra.
Playing at the Area ‘H’ Ground in very hot and humid conditions, Tucber Park won the toss and elected to bat first.
Openers Emanuel Lett and Kelston Kisten added twenty for the first wicket before Lett was bowled by left arm spinner Keith Simpson for three in the third over.
The talented Abdul Ramsammy then top scored with a classy 72 to lead Tucber Park to an eventual 164 all out off 37 of their allotted 40 overs.
Ramsammy struck five sixes and four fours in his knock before he was the seventh wicket to be dismissed, caught behind by Tameshwar Deonandan off the bowling of Berbice under-19 leg spinner Asif Marimuthoo. Zemuel Felix scored 12, Thierry Henry added 19 and Kisten with 12 supported Ramsammy along the way.
Bowling for Rose Hall Town Bakewell, Keith Simpson took two for 20 from eight overs, fourteen-year-old Jayden Ganpat managed 2 for 41 and leg spinner Asif Marimuthoo did well with 4 for 14.
Rose Hall Town Bakewell needing to score 165 from 40 overs to advance to the quarter-finals, found themselves at 36 for four in the tenth over as Ramzam Koobeer (0), Leon Reddy (20), Nicholas Cameron (03) and Tameshwar Deonandan (0) fell cheaply.
The experienced duo of Rampersaud and West Indies female player Shemaine Campbelle then stabilised the innings with a partnership of 30 for the fifth wicket before Campbelle was dismissed by left arm spinner Felix for 14.
Keith Simpson came and went after hitting two fours and a huge six in a breezy 19.
The cool-headed Rampersaud who played several years for Guyana at the junior level then dominated two partnerships with Junior Babb and Asif Marimuthoo to lead his team to an exciting victory.
Babb added 30 for the sixth wicket before he was caught off the bowling of the pacey Jayhatden Rohlehr.
Marimuthoo came to the crease with 34 required for victory and he stayed with his captain as Rampersaud did the majority of the runs scoring.
Rampersud ended with 86 not out while his junior partner was unbeaten on three not out when victory was achieved in the 35th over.
Gevon Schultz was the visitors’ best bowler with two wickets for 41 runs from seven overs.
Rampersaud dedicated his match winning innings to the memory of his late dad, Charran Rampersaud who died suddenly at the age of 62 last month.
The Rose Hall Town Bakewell team would now advance to the quarter-finals as they seek to win their eighth Berbice-wide second division title.