Latest update November 24th, 2024 12:15 AM
GCB’s Jaguars 3-Day Franchise League bowls off today…Lower Corentyne put title on the line in eight-team league
By Sean Devers
Defending ‘Double’ Champions Lower Corentyne begin their title defence in the Jaguars Three-Day
Tagenarine Chanderpaul
Franchise League when they come up against Essequibo at Albion, Berbice in one of four first round games today.
Runners-up West Demerara oppose East Coast at Wales, Georgetown face East Bank at Lusignan and West Berbice battles Upper Corentyne at Bush Lot in what is anticipated to be a weekend of entertaining cricket action.
The GBC must be commended for continuing the Franchise tournament although it has not attracted the type of sponsorship that was hoped for and has inserted the top players into the eight teams thus strengthening the weaker teams.
The League will again be used to select the Jaguars team which begins its First-Class title defense on October 26 at Providence. The rules mandate each of the eight Franchise teams to select at least one Under-19 player eligible for next year’s Regional Under-19 Tournament.
Last year, 50-over Champions Lower Corentyne, the strongest team on paper, dominated the League with six wins and a draw to take the Championship trophy and $500,000. Lower Corentyne’s Jonathon Foo scored 150 and 127 in the first two rounds, while former National U-19 batsman Seon Hetymer, (215) and Surujnarine Kandasammy (212) both scored double centuries in the same innings when the Berbicians rattled up the League’s highest total of 649-9 declared
Baskar Yadram
against West Berbice at Port Mourant.
West Demerara’s team included Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the batsman with the most runs (635) and Bajan Raymond Reifer the most successful All-rounder (434 runs & 28 wickets) to finish as runners-up to collect $300,000.
Chanderpaul Hemraj (250), Seon Hetmyer (215) Surujnarine Kandasammy (212) all made double centuries while Jonathon Foo, Bhaskar Yadram, and Assad Fudadin scored two centuries each while Tagenarine Chanderpaul (635), Kandasammy (607), Foo (580) Chanderpaul Hemraj (562) and West Indies U-19 Skipper Bhaskar Yadram (514) scored the most runs.
Eon Hooper (44) Gajanand Suknanan (42), Romario Shepherd (34), Kasim Khan (30) and Reifer (28) were the top wicket-takers. Reifer, Shemron Hetymer and Devendra Bishoo will miss the first few games due to West Indies Test duties in England as will the CPL players while Foo and Fudadin are unavailable for this year’s tournament in which Fifteen (15) players received CGI contracts and thirteen (13) players got Academy contracts.
Except for Essequibo, where matches will not be played this year, fans in West Demerara, East Bank, East Coast and Berbice will have the opportunity to see Guyana’s best players perform.
Anthony Bramble will appear for Upper Corentyne, Veerasammy Permaul will play for Lower Corentyne, Keon Joseph and Gudakesh Motie strengthens West Berbice while East Coast will include Rajendra Chandrika.
Hemraj will appear for East Coast with National Skipper Leon Johnson, Chris Barnwell and the Jamaican batsman Ramaal Lewis appearing for Georgetown. Steven Jacobs and National U-19 Captain Renaldo Ali Mohammed will join Upper Demerara/East Bank with Shepherd, Reifer and Tagenarine Chanderpaul strengthening the West Demerara side.
Essequibo’s challenge will be spearheaded by rising star Kemo Paul and Kemol Savory while they are also likely to benefit from the expertise of Shivnarine Chanderpaul once he is available.
Essequibo will get Academy players Anthony Adams and Kevon Boodie, West Demerara will include Akshaya Persaud and Ritche Looknauth while Upper Demerara/East Bank will have Sherfane Rutherford and Georgetown, Raymond Perez and Robin Bacchus.
West Indies U-19 players Joshua Persaud and Yadram will play for East Coast while Raun Johnson will represent Lower Corentyne with Clinton Pestano playing for Upper Corentyne.
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