BCB/Diors Bits and Pieces U23 tournament: RHT Pepsi to face Albion CCCC in finals

The longstanding battle between arch-rivals Albion Community Centre Cricket Club and the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club would continue, with both clubs having reached the finals of the Berbice Cricket Board/ Diors Bits and Pieces Under-23 tournament.
Albion defeated Tucber Park by three wickets at Port Mourant ground, while the visiting Rose Hall Town Pepsi team defeated home team Blairmont on the Blairmont ground by 71 runs. Former national junior player Jonathan Rampersaud and Seon Glasgow struck centuries, while Leon Cecil and Jeremy Sandia had four-wicket hauls for their teams.
At Blairmont, RHT Pepsi skipper Junior Sinclair won the toss and elected to bat first. He was the first batsman to be dismissed, run out for a breezy 30 when the score was at 37 for 1 in the 5th over. His 30 included five fours and a maximum.
His opening partner Romesh Bharrat was then run out for 11, and then former national under-15 player Ramzan Koobeer was stumped for 15, to leave the score at 70 for 3. National under-19 player Jonathan Rampersaud and Guyana U17 vice-captain Matthew Pottaya then added 152 for the 4th wicket, as RHT Pepsi took control of the match.

Rampersaud struck 11 elegant fours and five sixes in his brilliant knock before he was caught at long on for 125 off the bowling of N Persaud. Pottaya, who has grown into a solid middle order batsman, scored 46, with three sixes and four boundaries, before he was run out at the non-striker’s end.
Lucas Arthur, who scored 18 not out, and Jermey Sandia then took their team to 289 for five at the end of the allotted 40 overs. By this time it was established that N. Persaud was the best bowler for the home team, with 2 wickets for 56 runs off eight overs.
Needing to score 290 off 40 overs to reach the finals, Blairmont were dismissed for 218, scored in 31.4 overs. National under-19 player Seon Glasgow blasted five massive sixes and twelve fours in a brutal 111, and received support from S. Bissoondyal with 24.
Bowling for Rose Hall Town Pepsi, Jermey Sandia took 4 for 23, while Raj Tika took 2 for 30 and Junior Sinclair took 2 for 31.
Batting first after winning the toss, Tucber Park were restricted to 134 all out off 32.4 overs at the Port Mourant ground. Former national player Caesar scored 21, Garfield Benjamin scored 19, Zaymul Ramsammy 17 and Leon Swammy 12, as the principal scorers in a disappointing batting display by the New Amsterdam-based club.
Off-spinner Leon Cecil took 4 for 34 from 7 overs, and former national under-19 left arm spinner Kelvin Umrao took 3 for 25 off 8 overs as the main wicket takers for Albion. Naeem Khan, Gourav Ramesh and Kumar Deopersaud each took a wicket.

Albion overcame a main collapse to win by three wickets. They were 72 for 1 in the 11th over, with Ari Afizal Kadir on 47 and Damion Cecil on 25 batting well. It took a levelheaded 19 not out by Devin Lalbehari to get them over the line and into the finals.
Off-spinner Ruben Latcha took 4 for 18 from 8 overs, and Zymul Ramsammy took 2 for 26 as the best bowlers of the losing Tucber Park CC.
Date and venue for the finals would shortly be determined by the Competitions Committee of the BCB.