GT&T, Gizmos Inter Association U-17 cricket (2nd round): /Town maul W/Demerara to advance to tomorrow’s final

Aug 23, 2008 Sports

E/Bank also advance after no-result against E/Coast

By Sean Devers
Regardless of the results in today’s final preliminary round of the GT&T, Gizmos & Gadgets Demerara Cricket Board Inter Association 50-overs under-17 cricket competition, leaders Georgetown and East Bank will clash in tomorrow’s final at Enmore.

Yesterday Georgetown followed up their win against East Coast with an emphatic nine-wicket victory against West Demerara at Everest while East Bank, who beat West Demerara on Thursday, gained an important point from their washed out match against East Coast at Lusignan to move to three points and clinch a place in the final.

Georgetown, who could give their three leading wicket-takers in the competition as rest for their final preliminary round game against East Bank today at DCC, are on four points, while East Coast (3 points) and West Demerara clash at Lusignan for a consolation victory.

The Demerara selectors are expected to name the Demerara training squad after tomorrow’s final and the players will be hoping that the weather does not spoil their plans to impress the selectors today.

In yesterday’s action at Everest, pugnacious GNIC opener Quincy Ovid was caught behind off left-arm spinner Medha Dhanpaul for 40 as the Garvin Nedd coached City side strolled to 85-1 in 21.1 overs after they had dismissed West Demerara for 84 in 30.2 overs despite a late order rally from the West Demerara tail enders who lifted their team from an embarrassing 39-7.

Asked to bat after a late start resulted in the match being reduced to 38 overs per side, West Demerara lost their Skipper Ameer Khan (0) via the run out route with just two runs on the board and never really recovered although Dhanpaul, who hit two fours and a six in his unbeaten 24, added 26 for the eight wicket with Salim Mohamed (9) and 27 for the last wicket with Tameshwar Arjoon (4).

Pacer Seon Daniels (3-16), off-spinner Ricardo Devers (2-19), left arm pacer Andre Stoll (2-23) and medium pacer Carlos LaRose (2-21) did the damage with the ball for the home team and pre-tournament favorites.

Burnell Bernard (1) spooned a catch to point off Stoll and Kevin Burnett was lbw to Daniels, the leading wicket-taker in the competition with six scalps, as West Demerara stumbled to 12-3 on a good track and freshly cut outfield.

Amir Mohamed (7) was bowled with a slower ball from the impressive Daniels, Ramnarine Mangra (8) drove Stoll to cover, and La Rose sent back Chandrika Persaud (8) and Jadesh Persaud (0) in quick succession to leave the Rabindranauth Seeram coach side wobbling on the ropes on 39-7.

The much vaunted Georgetown spin attack of Devers and West Indies under-15 leg-spinner Amir Khan was introduced to polish off the tail but the West Demerara batsmen were not ready to meekly surrender their wickets.

Dropped at mid-wicket by Ovid off Devers on one at 43-7, Dhanapaul lofted Khan for a four, stroked Devers through the covers for three and then audaciously thumped Stoll over wide long-on for a six before he ran out of partners. Devers, the second leading wicket-taker in the competition with four victims, removed Mohamed at 58-8 and then had Brian Deodat magnificently taken at slip by Dayanand Roopnarine to leave the score on 58-9 before the last pair capitalized on a period of loose cricket before Daniels bowled Arjoon (4) to end the resistance.

Ovid, who punished anything loose from the pacers dominated a 75-run partnership with the solid Kumar Ramkissoon (19*) before he fell with victory 10 runs away.

But by then the foundation had been well built as the host formalized the victory with two wides from Dhanpaul, who finished with 1-14.

At Lusignan, rain had the final say in a game reduced to 20 overs per side as the match was washed out with East Bank well placed for victory on 55 without loss from 12 overs replying to East Coast’s 81-9 off their 20 overs.

Keon Franklyn finished unbeaten on 15 as Asif Ishack took 3-12 and Imran Fazeer took 2-8 for East Bank.
Shameer Fazal (28*) and Kamal Singh (18*) seemed set to give their team their second consecutive win before the rain spoiled their party.

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