Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
GISE, Star Party Rental, Trophy Stall 1stDiv Cricket…. Bacchus, Sookdeo, Johnson & Dindyal hit fifties for GCC after GDF routed for 87
David Rajmangal was the only GDF batsman to offer resistance with an unbeaten 33 as Army fell for 87 at Bourda yesterday.
By Sean Devers
After dismissing UG for 47 & 100 in their emphatic win in the last round GCC bowled out GDF for 87 and by the end of the first day of their two-day GISE, Star Party Rental, Trophy Stall First Division Cricket tournament for City teams, were 274-2 enjoying a lead of 187 runs yesterday at Bourda.
In steaming hot conditions on a slow track and a very heavy outfield, host GCC put themselves in a commanding position for successive victories as half-centuries from Robin Bacchus, Jeetendra Sookdeo, Test batsman Leon Johnson and West Indies U-16 batman Mavendra Dindyal by the time bad light stopped play.
GCC’s Jeetendra Sookdeo plays off the front foot during his 56 at Bourda yesterday.
Bacchus followed up his 86 in his last innings with an aggressive 70 from 64 balls with three fours and five sixes and shared in an opening stand of 124 with fellow left-handed Sookdeo who followed up his 44 against UG with 56 from 75 balls with two fours and four sixes.
Leon Johnson, on the back of his maiden First division double ton in the last match, reached the boundary four times and cleared it thrice in his unbeaten 70 from 101 and has so far featured in an unfinished 146-run third with partnership with 14-year-old Dindyal, only in his second first division game.
The right-hander finished not out on 60 from 110 balls with five boundaries to follow-up his 46 against UG.
Robin Bacchus cuts during 70 yesterday at Bourda in a 124-stand with Jeetendra Sookdeo for GCC.
Off-spinner Leon Andrews has so far taken 2-82 from 22 overs.
Renaldo Ali-Mohamed followed up his 8-wicket match haul in the last match with 3-17, while his opening partner Bernard Bailey (3-7) and off-spinner Stephon Wilson (3-38) destroyed the Soldiers in just 31.2 overs five minutes after lunch.
Only David Rajmangal who hit two fours and a six in an unbeaten 45-ball 33 offered resistance as Damion Whitney, who was run out for 14 and former Guyana U-19 all-rounder Joshua Jones, who hit a six and four in 18, were the only others to reach double figures.
GDF lost wickets at regular intervals and after Andries (8) played around a full ball and was bowled by Bailey before Kurt Lovell (6), Damion Waldron (0) and Randy Lindore (0), who was bowled with a perfect yorker from Ali-Mohamed, three wickets had fallen with the score on 16.
Two runs later Terry Fraser (2) gloved a hook to the Keeper off a bouncer from the lively Bailey and by Lunch it was 72-7 before the innings ended just after the interval.
GCC began their chase with some measure of luck as Bacchus was dropped thrice and Sookdeo twice as they destroyed the Soldiers with heavy artillery.
Bacchus reached his 50 from 44 balls with four fours and three sixes, two of them into the top tier of Rohan Kanhai stand where Cristy, (a Yoga instructor) who jumped into the TV to take a catch during a commercial for a betting service, failed to take the catch.
But when well set for a century, Bacchus cut at one too close to him off Andries and was caught behind.
Sookdeo dumped Andrews for six to reach his 50 from 53 balls before he slashed Andrews high to point at 146-2.
After five catches were floored in the second Johnson and the elegant Dindyal took GCC to 136-2 by Tea.
Both batsmen played some attractive shots with the experienced Johnson who dominated the stand.
The batting of Dindyal belied his age and he played an array of classy drives and elegant pulls but it was Johnson who got to his fifty first when he hit off spinner Lindore for consecutive boundaries and a four to reach his 50 from 85 balls with four fours and two sixes before depositing Andrews onto the GCB office to reach the 250.
GDF’s Damion Whitney cuts Renaldo Ali-Mohamed (3-17) before he was run out for 14 at Bourda.
Dindyal drove Andrews down the ground for a boundary to post his 50 from 86 balls with five fours just before the close.
Today is the final day and play is scheduled to commence at 09:30hrs.
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