Keen contests expected in Noble House Seafoods semis

Dec 10, 2016 Sports

Persaud, Yadram unavailable for Everest due WI U-19 Camp
By Sean Devers
After University of Guyana (UG) upset Transport Sports Club (TSC) in last year’s final, the 2016 semi-finals of the GCA’s Noble House Seafoods two-day second division competition could produce competitive cricket today and tomorrow at Everest and Eve Leary grounds.
Everest hosts GNIC while Police are at home TSC. Everest will be without Akshaya Persaud and Baskar Yadram who left Guyana yesterday for an Under-19 West Indies team training Camp in preparation for the 2017 Regional Super50 tournament slated to run from January 24 to February 18.
Of the four semi-finalists only Police have tasted championship success in the five-year history of the competition and apart from the Cops, Everest, GNIC and last year’s bridesmaid TSC will be expected to go all out the reach the final. The Champions will take home $ 100,000 while the Runners-up collect $60,000.
TSC are a force to be reckoned with at second division level and have in their line-up Skipper Shawn Messiah and off-spinner Kevin Ross who have been playing at this level ‘forever’ and add them to the young brigade of pacer Joshua Wilson, Keon Morris, Charwayne McPherson, Devughn Nandan and the left-handed Sunil Singh and TSC could progress to their second successive final.
All-Rounder Steven Harris with a commanding 146 and Jason McAlmont (44) powered Police past Malteenoes in the quarter-finals and they should get support from Regional Rodrigues and Paul Tendel with the bat while leg-spinner Vishaul Jaigobin (sporting a new look) and Harris should spearhead the bowling.
The outfield at Eve Leary is fast and with a short straight boundary and good track a high scoring draw will not be a surprise which makes first innings points more important.
At Everest, GNIC is expected bank heavily on Quincy Ovid-Richardson, the only batsman with two centuries in the same match in the competition and his opening partner David Dick. The pair posted a double century first wicket stand against GDF in their quarter-final clash.
On paper GNIC has the most powerful batting line with First-Class left-hander Gajanand Singh, Parmanand Sookdeo, Joseph Persaud and former National youth batsman Anthony D’Andrade all in their side.
Rawle Merrel should be a handful with the new ball while inform off-spinner Gajanan Suknanan, fresh from his 5-wicket haul in the quarter finals, Singh and former West Indies Test off-spinner and the oldest player in the competition Clyde Butts, should do the bulk of the spinning on the large ground and spin friendly track.
Even without Persaud and Yadram the home team has a strong batting line-up with openers Saheed Mohamed is expected to give Everest a firm foundation for Khemraj Ramdeen, Kamesh Yadram, Dwayne Adams and Denish Mangal to build on. Left-arm spinner Adams and off-spinner Mohamed could bowl long spells.
Both games commence at 10:30hrs and with the Guyana Jaguars/Barbados Pride day/night contest at Providence scheduled to start at 15:00hrs today supporters of the local clubs could see large parts of both games.

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