DCC battle DCC in today’s final at Bourda

Sep 11, 2011 Sports

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GCA’s Queensway 50-overs cricket

By Sean Devers
Playing in his first match for DCC since his last Test match against South Africa in June last year, 34-year-old Travis Dowlin showed the value of experience and  a level-head with a responsible unbeaten 74 to lead hosts DCC to a three-wicket win against Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) in yesterday’s semi-final of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Queensway 50-over cricket competition.
DCC will now meet GCC in today’s final at Bourda after GCC struggled to an exciting one-wicket win in the last over against GNIC in the other semi-final at Everest as former National under-19 left-hander Jeetendra Sookdeo led the fight with an unbeaten 40.
At DCC, MSC elected to bat first and slipped from 70 without loss in the 12th over to 99-5 in the 26th before Carlos LaRose, who hit three fours and two sixes in 70, shared in half-century partnerships with Kellon Carmichael (32) and former Guyana under-15 Skipper Shaquille Williams (54*) to help MSC to 270 all out off 50 overs.
West Indies t20 all-rounder Chris Barnwell grabbed 4-42 from 10 overs for DCC who raced to 79 without loss in eight overs before losing a few wickets in the middle over.
But the experienced Dowlin, with three fifties in his six Tests and fours tons in 85 First-Class matches since his first in 1997 in Grenada, mixed caution with aggression to finish unbeaten on 74 from 75 balls with five fours and a six and featured in important partnerships with West Indies t20 selectee Derwin Christian (21) and Paul Wintz (25) to see DCC to 271-7 off 43.2 overs.
West Indies left-hander Kwame Crosse stroked five fours and two sixes in an unusually aggressive 40-ball 49 and along with Nkossi Barker (15) added 70 before off-spinner Denis Squires had Barker stumped.
Danny Narayan was then caught behind off Barnwell for a duck and when Barnwell had Crosse leg before and Totaram Bishun had Steven Jacobs (1) caught at cover, MSC had slipped to 73-4.
Deon Ferrier (6) fell to spinner Omesh Dhanram at 99-5 and the noisy DCC supporters were celebrating.
LaRose, a former National under-19 player attacked confidently and along with Carmichael took the score to 165 before part-time off-spinner Trevon Griffith had Carmichael taken at long-on.
LaRose who clobbered Squires for two sixes and a four in an over which cost 18 to reach his fifty began to tire and eventually fell at 219-7 to Barnwell who bowled Keifa Naughton (0) a run later.
Williams struck Wintz through the hands of Griffith at long-off for four to reach his fifty and celebrated with an effortless six in the closing stages to see MSC to a respectable total.
But once the left-handed Griffith (29) and Andrew Lyght Junior (42 from 26 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes) gave DCC an explosive start, the Queenstown side were always in front although the loss of Lyght to Williams and Gajanand Singh, who smashed four fours in 21 before he was sent packing by Barry, left DCC on 113-2 and in command.
Barnwell’s departure off National under-15 leg-spinner Steven Sankar at 134-4 and Griffith’s demise to Barry at 155-5 again opened a door for MSC.
But Christian and Dowlin added 43 before Christian fell to Jacobs at 198-6 and Dowlin held the innings together with intelligent if not the most fluent stroke-play to put on 70 for the eighth wicket with Wintz who was bowled by Jacobs with victory two runs away after hitting the previous ball for six.
Barry had 2-37 from eight overs and Jacobs 2-64 from 10 for MSC.
At Everest, excessive preparation moisture reduced the game to 47 overs after a late start before rain further cut the encounter to 43 overs per side and GNIC slipped from 67-3 to 170 all out in 39.5 overs before GCC limped to 175-9 with four balls to spare.
Quincy Ovid-Richardson was leg before to pacer Joshua Wade for a duck at 0-1 while Wade removed David Dick (2) and his new ball partner Kevin Ogle sent back Dexter Solomon to leave GNIC on 6-3.
Elton Baker (27) and Shawn DeSouza (35) revived the position on the slow track before Gavin Singh trapped Baker leg before at 67-4 and DeSouza, who clobbered six fours in his 35, at 86-5.
Rayon Griffith (16) fell to left-arm spinner Raj Nanan at 96-6 but Ranole Bourne (35), Collis Butts (17) and Leroy Bristol (10) offered some resistance as Wade, the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers, took 3-61 after the early onslaught to move to seven wickets in the competition. Nanan, the leading wicket-taker overall, had 3-24 and Singh 2-21 for GCC. Butts, the son of former Test off-spinner Clyde Butts, bowled Robin Bacchus behind his back for 27 and hit out the off-stump of left-hander Ricardo Jadunauth (13) with an arm-ball as GCC slipped to 56-2 after a 50-run opening stand.
Leon Johnson (12) flicked the first ball from left-arm spinner Bristol to short mid-wicket at 78-3 and when First-Class left-hander Vishal Singh (28) became the first of four run out victims at 113-4, GCC barley scraped home as Trevon Forde who was run out for 18 and Sookdeo helped their team to get close to the victory target.
Butts (3-24), Bristol (2-25) and Baker (2-37) were the main wicket takers for GNIC.

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