Naikbarran leads East Coast to Championship honours

May 23, 2009 Sports

Rajendra Naikbarran cuts behind point for four during his unbeaten 61.

A Man-of-the-Match performance from 18-year-old Rajendra Naikbarran, spurred East Coast to an eight-wicket victory against West Demerara in yesterday’s final of the German Restaurant & WH Rambarran’s Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) 50-over Under-19 cricket competition at the Lusignan ground.
Naikbarran, a member of the National 20-man Under-19 training squad, took 3-26 with his off-spin to help dismiss West Demerara for 159 in 48 overs before returning to hit an attractive unbeaten 61, as the hosts reached 161-2 in 22.4 overs.

National Under-15 left-hander Brian Singh top scored with an accomplished 81 before an impetuous drive to long-on with victory nine runs away, denied him an unbeaten innings and ended his 124-run second wicket partnership with his skipper Naikbarran. Only in the final due to the disqualification of Georgetown (the competition’s only unbeaten team), East Coast capitalised on their good fortune as only Demerara Under-19 player Keshan Shivgobin, who hit 4 fours in an 84-ball 51 offered any real fight for West Demerara. Carl Rambharose (who also represented the Demerara U-19s), played in the competition when a day over the age-limit stipulation, resulted in East Coast taking the City side’s place yesterday. The tournament also included East Bank.

Shivgobin added 56 for the second wicket with Sukhu (26) after Naikbarran had made the initial breakthrough in the 9th over by removing Ameer Khan (10) with the score on 30 and apart from Shivgobin’s effort, Amir Mohamood (22) and Kevin Lyndo (12) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures. Three run outs failed to help the West Demerara cause on a slow track and heavy outfield.
Naikbarran got support from fellow off-spinner Keon Franklyn (2-19), as West Demerara were never allowed to score freely in sweltering heat.

Brian Sattaur gathers off-side runs during his top score of 81

Permanand Rampersaud (5) and the elegant Sattaur, who turned 13 in February, added 25 in six overs before Rampersaud drove Mohamood to cover to set the stage for the match winning second-wicket partnership.
Sattaur was the first to reach his 50. Naikbarran soon did likewise, to the delight of the small crowd which comprised mostly IBE Lusignan branch students.

Dropped in the deep with victory in sight, the accomplished Sattaur disdainfully deposited Sukhu for one of his four sixes before throwing his wicket away off the next ball at 151-2, while Naikbarran was dropped in the final over of the game before formalizing the result with his seventh boundary.
Naikbarran hit 6 fours and a six in his entertaining 44-ball 61 while Sattaur struck 5 fours and 4 sixes in his 60-ball knock.

Raj Singh represented the sponsors at the presentation ceremony and informed that sponsorship for the competition (which was used to select the Demerara Under-19 side) will continue. DCB President Bissoon Singh thanked the sponsors for their support of Demerara’s youth cricket and congratulated the winners.