Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Berbice maul Demerara by 127 runs
To reclaim El Dorado Inter-County title
By Sean Devers
A magnificent century from Man-of-the-Match Sewnarine Chattergoon spearheaded Berbice to an emphatic 127-run win against Demerara at the Guyana National Stadium on Saturday night in the final of the Day/Night El Dorado Inter-County 50 overs cricket competition.
Champions Berbice celebrate their El Dorado victory with DDL’s Brands Manager Maria Munroe after they crushed Demerara by 127 runs in Saturday’s final at the Stadium.
Chattergoon stroked 10 fours from 119 balls in his 102 and got support from fellow Test left-hander Narsingh Deonarine whose entertaining unbeaten 74 included 10 fours and a six from 44 balls and former West Indies under-19 batsman Richard Ramdeen who made 62 from 67 balls with 7 fours and a six as Berbice reached 333-5 off their 50 overs on a good batting track and lightning fast outfield.
Royston Crandon, who recently returned from the Champions Trophy in South Africa with the under-strength West Indies team, took 3-33 and got support from First-Class leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo (2-27) as Demerara limped to 206-9 when their 50 overs expired under a clear night sky.
Berbice’s score was the highest total in a limited overs game since the inaugural match was played at the Stadium in 2006. Sri Lanka’s 305-5 against West Indies in the 2007 World Cup is the only other 300-plus total registered at Providence.
Watched by a small crowd in bright sunshine, Berbice were given a solid foundation by Chattergoon and Ramdeen before Ramdeen was run out.
The 28-year-old Chattergoon, who has 5 First-Class tons and 2 Regional One-Day hundreds, looked rock-solid and shared in another half-century partnership with Skipper and former West Indies youth player Assad Fudadin (34) before the versatile Chris Barnwell removed Fudadin.
Chattergoon, who has played 4 Tests and 18 ODIs, was eventually bowled by former West Indies under-19 Skipper Steven Jacobs while Royston Crandon (16) was leg before to medium pacer Kellon Carmichael.
Once Chattergoon departed, Deonarine took centre stage with a pugnacious display of batting and since he faced 10 ‘dot balls’ his undefeated 74 was made from juts 34 balls as Berbice capitalized on innocuous shabby cricket from the defending champions who floored 5 catches after Berbice opted to bat in daylight.
National under-19 player Jonathon Foo hit a cameo 29 before he was brilliantly caught by Carmichael in the deep off Barnwell who conceded 81 runs from 10 overs and took 2 wickets.
Jacobs’s off-spin was also very expensive as 76 runs came from his 10 overs while left-arm spinner Sauid Drepaul (0-59 from 8), off-spinner Zaheer Mohamed (0-49 from 9) and Carmichael ( 1-48 from 10) all struggled as the Berbicians flayed the bowling with an array of audacious shots as Demerara looked like a team not mentally prepared for battle.
The 26-year-old Deonarine, with 4 Tests and 5 ODIs, stroked the ball with authority as the Guyana selectors watched the one-sided contest before meeting on Monday (today) to pick a 20-man training squad for the Regional One-Day series and a 4-team fund-raising GCB 20/20 tournament on October 24 & 25.
After former West Indies under-19 player Rajendra Chandrika (3) fell in the 6th over of the Demerara reply at 33-1, Test right-hander Travis Dowlin and Barnwell, who was not afraid to go for his shots, put together 72 for the 2nd wicket before Dowlin (31) was leg before to a Chattergoon leg-break at 102-2 after playing a glorious cover drive off pacer Brandon Bess for four and lofting left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul into the Party Mound over long off.
Crandon, a batting all-rounder who was surprisingly used way down the order in South Africa, bowled Barnwell behind his back with his first ball and then quickly got rid of ex-West Indies under-19 player Gajanand Singh (9) at 130-3 and West Indies ODI left-hander Leon Johnson (10) as Demerara struggled to 154-4.
Former West Indies under-19 Skipper Steven Jacobs (4) played an impetuous slash to point off Bishoo who also removed Mohamed (17) and Carmichael (1) leaving Drepaul (17) and last man, Wicketkeeper Joseph Perry (2) the not out batsmen.
Skipper and West Indies Test player Ramnaresh Sarwan (29) was dropped in the deep off Chattergoon on 9 and survived a very confident caught behind appeal off Royston Crandon at 24 but just when he was beginning to look set, he threw his wicket away with a lofted drive off Permaul to long-off as Demerara, who beat Berbice in last year’s final and in the preliminary rounds in this competition, were totally outplayed.
Crandon 3-33 from 8 overs, Bishoo (3-27 from 10) and Chattergoon (1-37 from 10) never allowed Demerara to build a momentum batting 2nd under lights as the one-sided match ended in anticlimax with Demerara being soundly beaten in their own back yard.
Photos: Champions Berbice celebrate their El Dorado victory with DDL’s Brands Manager Maria Munroe after they crushed Demerara by 127 runs in Saturday’s final at the Stadium.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
A call for more cultural centres
…Peeping Tom Kaieteur News- Burnham’s decision to divert the Indian Immigration Fund towards constructing the National... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
