BCB Diors Bits and Pieces U23 tournament: All-round performance from Pottaya, Sealy lead RHT Pepsi to quarterfinal victory
The winning Rose Hall Pepsi team
The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) Pepsi have advanced to the semi- finals of the Berbice Cricket Board’s (BCB’s) Under-23 tournament, having defeated the stubborn Guymine Cricket Club team by 111 runs.
Playing at the Area H ground in steamy weather conditions, the home team won the toss and elected to take first strike. Having lost openers Romesh Bharat and Ramzan Koobir for 2 and 0 respectively, they found themself at 12 for two in the 3rd over.
Skipper Jonathan Rampersaud and Berbice under-15 player Kulmalchan Ramnarace then added 35 for the third wicket, before Rampersaud was caught off the bowling of Keith Dennis for 17.
National under-17 vice- captain Matthew Pottaya then stroked 5 delightful boundaries and three sixes in his top score of 66; and, together with Tyrie Sealy, added 84 for the 7th wicket, after Ramnarace had departed 18.
Matthew Pottaya
Jeremy Sandia then fell for 2, to leave RHTY&SC at 99 for 6 in the 12th over. Pottaya seemed unlucky to be given out caught behind for 66, but Sealy’s 58, together with 17 from Lucas Arthur and 10 from Raj Tika, led RHTY&SC Pepsi to 250 in 38.1 overs.
Bowling for Guymine, De Jonge took two wickets for 37 runs; Seth took 2 for 40, and Ricardo Henry took 2 for 31.
Needing to score 251 runs from their allotted 40 overs, Guymine were restricted to 139 all out in 27.4 overs. Kwesi Stewart with 34, De Jonge with 25, Kevin Dennis with 28, and Ricardo Henry with 17 all batted well.
Tyrese Sealy
Guymine were well placed at 101 for 2 in 16 overs, with Stuart and De Jonge batting well, before De Jonge was brilliantly caught by the diving Ramzan Koobir at long off. Stewart was dismissed by Pottaya in the same over, as Guymine slipped to 102 for four. Victory was achieved in the 28th over when Pottaya bowled Louise for a duck.
Pottaya took 5 for 18 from 5 overs, and Sealy took 3 for 9. Jonathan Rampersaud took 1 for 18, and Lucas Arthur took 1 for 10 as the other wicket takers for the home team.
