Third annual Roy Fredericks Cup 15/15 cricket... National players barred from playing in Blairmont fund raiser - Fantastic tourney ends in thrilling super-over win for RHT Gizmos & Gadgets

Third annual Roy Fredericks Cup 15/15 cricket… National players barred from playing in Blairmont fund raiser – Fantastic tourney ends in thrilling super-over win for RHT Gizmos & Gadgets

Jul 25, 2018 Sports

Imran Khan hits one of his 13 sixes in the tournament and scored fifties in a losing effort. (Sean Devers photo)

By Sean Devers
That President of Blairmont Cricket Club located on the West Bank of Berbice was contacted on the morning off the planned fund raiser and told by CGI that those who represented Guyana this year at any level were not allowed to play which would have daunted most.
But Shabeer Baksh doubled up on his efforts and made last minute switches.
And while City side DCC packed with Nationals from all levels, were forced to abort their trip, a crowd of about 4,000 which the organisers deemed disappointing, although it was bigger than the turn-out at any of the venues for the Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Test matches, turned up for the Roy Fredericks Cup fund raiser.
The tournament was action packed and played in a fantastic atmosphere only second to the CPL matches in Guyana.
Organised by Blairmont CC and staged under high quality international standard lights at Albion, the fund raiser was approved by Berbice Cricket Board and backed by plenty of sponsors and supported by GUYSUCO and Albion Sports Complex.
Tassa Drummers, pulsating music from the sound system, drinks and food bars and hyper active fans in the stands created a mood of fun and frolic for the entire family at a venue which hosted five ODIs between 1977-1985.
In an exciting Final, reduced to 10 overs due to time constraints, Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets won the toss and batted on a flat track, slow outfield and shorted boundaries, Eon Hooper top-scoring with 37 and got support from Troy Matterson (27) as Rose Hall Town made 99-6.
Skipper Shabeer Baksh had 2-11 with leg-spin, while off spinner Devon Clements took 2-18.
Khan followed up his pugnacious 67 against UCCA in the semi-final with an explosive 59, while the experienced Devon Clements contributed 14 in a half-century opening stand as Blairmont Blazers reached 99-7.
The 27-year-old Hooper, strangely asked to open the bowling in his only first First-Class game against Jamaica in 2016 at Providence and has not played since then, had 3-9.
But it was Berbice U-19 Left-arm spinner Keith Simpson who had 3-15 including the first ever hat-trick in the tournament in a sensational last over to earn him the Man-of-the-Match, who broke the hearts of the vocal Blairmont fans and took the game into a super over.
With three to get from six balls and four wickets in hand, Imran Khan, who brought back memories of his big hitting in the 2006 Stanford tournament was on strike.
Khan took a single off the first ball and watched as the three batsmen were all bowled off consecutive deliveries, playing across the line in attack instead of trying a block and give the ‘on-fire’ Khan the strike.
Waqar Hassan got a single off the fifth ball but Khan was run out going for the winning run after being dropped at short mid-wicket.
Everyone was on their feet during the super-over with Blairmont Blazers batting first and scoring 11-0 with Khan making an unbeaten nine including a six off Simpson.
A costly blunder from the Skipper allowed four off the second ball and with five to win off the last ball, Kevin Jawahir at long-off tried his best to box the ball back into play as he overbalanced on the ropes and the ball went for six.
And when the dust had settled at 01:46hrs on Sunday morning, two times defending champion Blairmont Blazers were dethroned by Rose Hall Town Gizmos Gadgets in a super-over.
The first semi-final saw Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets making 114-9 against Albion who reached 77-7 in their allotted 15 overs, while Blairmont Blazers made 154-8 and got past UCCA who relied with 127-6 in 15 overs.
In the preliminary rounds, Albion beat Port Mourant, Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets beat Young Warriors and UCCA beat Rose Hall Canje.
Man-of-the-Final (Keith Simpson), MVP (Batsman) Imran Khan (135 runs), MVP (Bowler) Keith Simpson (7 wkts), Most sixes Imran Khan (13), Best catch Parmanand Ramdan.

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