Latest update November 5th, 2024 1:00 AM
GCA’s GISE, Trophy Stall & Star Party Cricket …Both semi-finals in the balance
By Sean Devers
GCC were 172-5 in reply to the home team’s 301 at DCC, while GNIC were 61-4 chasing GDF’s 191 when stumps were drawn on the opening day of their semi-final games in the GCA’s GISE, Trophy Stall & Star Party Cricket
Gudakesh Motie who took 4-42 goes past the edge of Dexter Soloman’s bat at the GDF ground.
two-day division one cricket tournament yesterday.
At DCC, the host opted to bat on a fast outfield and flat track and their big hitters all got starts with former Guyana U-19 Skipper Brain Sattaur (70), National all-rounder Chris Barnwell (68) and Guyana U-19 all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford (52) all registering fifties. But DCC might feel they were 50 short of what they expected.
A first innings lead is all that is needed to book a place in the final and the powerful Sattuar and stylish West Indies U-19 Keeper Tevin Imlach put together 88 for the first wicket. Imlach (16) was the silent partner as the left-handed Sattuar blazed away.
GCC Captain Vishaul Singh was forced to try something out of the ordinary to stem the onslaught. He opted to bring himself into the attack and his innocuous spin soon made the break when Imlach was trapped LBW before Singh got rid of Kevin Boodie (2) five runs later.
His inspired decision bore more fruit when Sattuar, who smashed 10 fours and four sixes and was in full flow, top-edged Singh to be taken by the Keeper as DCC stumbled to 101-3.
However, Singh got greedy for more success and Barnwell hit him for three fours and a six in his last over forcing him to bring back his regular bowlers. But Barnwell and Rutherford showed no respect for the hapless attack which included ‘Jaguars’ left-arm pacer Raymon Refier.
Vishaul Singh back cuts for four during his 74 for at DCC yesterday.
Rutherford dumped left-arm spinner Devon Lord for consecutive sixes, while Barnwell gloriously on-drove Reifer for four and punished him down the ground for four as Barnwell’s flaying bat stung as much as the mid-day sun.
A six off Lord by Rutherford brought up his 50 from 44 balls with four sixes and four fours. The shot also posted DCC’s 200 and the 100 partnership with Barnwell, who smashed Reifer for four reaching his half-century from 46 balls with nine fours and a six. Barnwell celebrated with a couple of bullet-like straight drives off Reifer.
But Barnwell, set for a ‘big hundred’ and his team scoring at a hectic rate, played an ill-advised loft to left-arm spinner Anthony Adams and hole out in the deep. His 68 lasted 50 balls and was decorated with 13 boundaries inclusive of two sixes.
His demise at 222-4 ended a 121-run stand with Rutherford who threw his wicket away in the next over playing a similar shot to Barnwell’s to give Lord his only wicket as Rutherford’s 52 came from 49 balls.
Reifer bowled too full at times but produced a beauty to bowl West Indies U-19 Vice-Captain Kemo Paul for a first ball duck as three wickets tumbled for no run.
Dennis Squires threw his bat around and clobbered five gigantic sixes and a four in a cameo 38 before he was bowled with a slower ball from the ‘pumped up’ Robin Bacchus after a confident appeal was turned down off the previous delivery.
Singh (3-40), Refier (2-60) and Adams (2-75) all went for over six run per over at DCC galloped to 301 forty minutes before Tea by which time GCC reached 35 for Bacchus’s wicket for eight.
Manny Ford (12) played two imperious drives off Paul Wintz and another off Barnwell but fell in the first over after Tea, while Wintz removed Vishwanauth Ramlakhan (11) LBW.
Reifer joined Singh at 66-3 and without West Indies U-19 Skipper Shemron Hetymer, Jaguars Captain Leon Johnson, Ronsford Beaton, Ramnaresh Sarwan, GCC badly needed a partnership.
Singh, who used his feet nicely to the spinners and played several audacious drives, reached his 50 from 66 balls with 11 fours and he and Reifer (33) added 85 for the fourth wicket before Singh lofted part time spinner Sattaur for Rutherford to hold a stupendous catch at long-off at 151-4. Singh faced 98 balls and hit 15 fours.
Reifer was soon bowled by Totaram Bishun (2-49) to the leave the boys from Bourda still needing 130 runs with five wickets in hand.
At GDF, Jerimiah Harris (48) and Akeem Hinds (37) led the hosts to 191 as National left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie (4-42), pacer Raun Johnson (3-34) and Gajanan Sukanan (2-64) did the damage for GNIC at 64-4 with First-Class batsman Gajanand Singh (8) and Jaguars Manager Rayon Griffith at the crease with their team 130 away from their target with six wickets in hand.
Today is the final day in both matches and play starts at 09:30hrs.
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