Upper Corentyne Free Weekend beat GT Text Flex by 3 wickets

Jul 12, 2010 Sports

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By Sean DeversWest Indies player Travis Dowlin, who stroked an entertaining 53, was the only Georgetown player who gave the impression that they were mentally prepared for a National final as the disunited City side was predictably whipped by Upper Corentyne last Saturday night at the Guyana National Stadium in the final of the Digicel Summer Splash National Twenty20 tournament.

Chasing a disappointing 122 all out in 19.5 overs made by GT Flex Text, Upper Corentyne Free Weekend recovered from a poor start to reach 123-7 to win with 17 balls to spare and lift the $400,000 top prize.

Under lights and with dew on a damp track, none of the bowlers were really taken apart. Except for the experienced Dowlin, the ordinary batting display and the lack of intensity and fight shown especially by the ‘big’ name’ GT players when under pressure, must be a worry as Guyana prepare to participate the Caribbean twenty20 later this month in Barbados and Trinidad.

Georgetown, beaten by Berbice in the DJ Stress Festival last week, just scraped past East Coast in the semi-final as they struggled to get the ball away and their problems began even before a ball was bowled with Shivnarine Chanderpaul was left out of the City side for the Digicel competition.

Things got worse for a GT side accused of disunity when Abilash Dookie ‘walked out’ on the team after he was not selected in the starting eleven, forcing Coach Roderick Lovell to put on fielding gear when two players were injured towards the final stages of the match.

After the hype and crowd support for the just concluded DJ Stress competition, the atmosphere on Saturday evening was funeral-like and the general sub-standard cricket did little to excite the handful of spectators in the ground.

GT began in enterprising fashion with Dowlin, who hit 4 fours and a six in his innings, using his feet and stroking Sewnarine Chattergoon, who opened the bowling with his leg-spin, for consecutive boundaries.

But Chris Barnwell (2) hit off-spinner Devon Clements to mid-on at 17-1 and although Dowlin hit Royston Crandon for a 6 and a four to reach his 50, no other batsman reached 20; Leon Johnson (18) and Steven Jacobs (14) got starts.

Royston Crandon 3-16, his brother Esuan 2-20 and leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo 2-20, never allowed the batsmen to score freely.

Chattergoon (5), who continues to struggle at the top of the order in this format, edged a cut at Barnwell to the keeper at 7-1 and when Trevon Garraway produced a double maiden wicket in the 3rd over, many felt a game was on.

 Richard Ramdeen (0) dragged Garraway onto his stumps and Clements (0) upper cut the pacer to 3rd man and at that stage the City side, often accused of showing plenty of ‘style and swagger’ with little substance to back it up, looked ready to brawl with energized cricket.

However, a few boundaries and a partnership between Assad Fudadin (who only returned from West Indies ‘A’ team duties in England the same day) and Skipper Royston Crandon, it was back to ‘square one’ as the fight quickly evaporated and shoulders dropped.

Left-arm spinner Totaram Bishun showed that spin and flight could be an asset even in twenty20 and his first 3 overs cost 10 runs before 13, including a six and a four by Jonathon Foo, was taken off his final over.

Royston Crandon (28) pulled a short ball from Jacobs to long-on at 49-4 and Fudadin was caught and bowled by Bishun at 87-5 before Foo (38) fell to Deon Ferrier with the scores level playing an aggressive shot to spoil a good innings.

Ferrier, who always gives 100% effort took 2-20 from 3 overs while Garraway who left the field with muscle spasms in his legs, had 2-12 from 3 overs for GT who took home $200,000. Royston Crandon collected the $25,000 Man-of-the-Match award.

It was more Berbice glory in the Ten10 third place play-off when New Amsterdam Free Credit, led by a pugnacious 87-run opening stand from Man-of-the Match Keith Fraser (49*) and Anthony Bramble (58) rattled up 121-2 in 10 overs then restricted East Coast to 69-6 despite 24 from Zaheer Mohamed. Fraser, also a football goal Keeper, had 2-13 and received $15,000.

 In the Women’s match which was reduced to 7 overs per side, Shermaine Campbell’s X1 made 45-5; Tremaine Smartt’s X1 responded with 48-0 off 4.4 overs, June Ogle-Thomas 23 and Melanie Henry 18, leading the way.

Acting GCB President Bissoon Singh and Digicel’s Shonette Moore spoke at the presentation after the final while Georgetown youth team coach, Gavin Nedd told Kaieteur Sport that if drastic changes are not made Georgetown will continue to lose despite all the talent.

“This is really disappointing. They guys lacked intensity and showed little fight. Is this how you want to win? When you look at this performance from guys who have all played at some level, you think….boy I could come back and bowl to these Berbicians since like Georgetown don’t have bowlers who could bowl to a plan,” Nedd said.

An emotional Nedd said ‘The sad thing is that with all the nonsense going on with some players, nothing is changed and we lose again with the same attitudes. Boy when I was playing we hated losing to Berbice and you think some of these guys have no pride and don’t even care if Berbice beat us,” Nedd added.

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