Griffith ton leads DCC to City title

Oct 12, 2009 Sports

By Sean Devers

West Indies under-19 selectee Trevon Griffith hit his 2nd consecutive ton against Transport Sports Club (TSC) in a final to spur DCC to a 29-run win in the Georgetown zone final of the Demerara Cricket Board Hand-in-Hand 50 overs 2nd division cricket competition at the Everest ground on Saturday.

We are the Champions! The GT winners of the Hand-in-Hand 2nd division cricket competition after being TSC on Saturday in the City final.

The left-handed Griffith, who scored the most runs in the recent regional under-19 series in Jamaica, hit 5 fours and 3 sixes from 94 balls to lead DCC to 166-9 in a game reduced to 35 overs due to morning rain.

Spinner Azeem Azeez took 4-30 for TSC who were bowled out for 137 from 32.2 overs in reply despite a fighting 40 from Rawle Enmore.

Griffith was so dominant that he raced to 51 before his opening partner Jaspar Gangaram had scored a run as the pair featured in their second consecutive half-century partnership following their 79-run stand in the zone semis against Malteenoes.

The gifted Griffith, who is almost a compulsive hooker, tore into Demerara under-19 pacer Carl Rambharose who insisted on bowling short on a slow track and pulled him for boundaries behind square before hooking him for a flat six.

The patient Gangaram, who took 31 balls for his 4 runs, was offering good support to the explosive Griffith when out of the blue he attempted a big shot and skied the ball ‘miles’ into the air for the bowler (Shawn Massiah) to hold the catch after colliding with the keeper at mid-pitch to leave DCC on 78-1 in 12 overs.

Jamal Hinckson (3) hit a bullet-like straight drive and was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Imtiaz Pooran at 85-2 and while Griffith continued to attack the bowlers, only Matthew Marques of the other batsmen got into double figures on the large ground with 29 with 3 fours.

Griffith, who scored a hundred in last year’s Beharry 2nd division final against TSC at Bourda, eventually gave his wicket away when he swept Azeez to deep mid-wicket to be sixth out in the closing stages of the innings.

Pooran supported Azeez with 4-30 for TSC who were off to a solid 52-run start from Stephon Sampson and Enmore.

Gladwin Brandis, bowling off spin, then had Sampson stumped by Denver Greaves and Steven Alves (15) skied National under-19 left-arm unorthodox spinner Totaram Bishun to point at 75-2.

Enmore was then run out after hitting a solitary boundary in his 40 at 76-3 and when Shafeek Ishmael was run out for 12 at 97-4 DCC were in control.

Kerwin Gittens (21) offered some resistance but Brandis (2-35) and off-spinner Kevin George who opened the bowling with Marques (2-21) ensured DCC qualified for the Demerara semi-finals.