Two magnificent innings from West Indies player Kevin Sinclair spearheaded the powerful Rose Hall Town NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour team to championship honours in the Blairmont Cricket Club Doomsday one-day tournament. Despite poor weather in the morning sessions, the fair-sized crowd was treated to cricket of a high standard at the Blairmont ground as Sinclair tore into the opposition bowlers with total disregard, hitting several huge sixes and delightful fours.
Seven teams participated in the day’s tournament. They were RHT Thunderbolt Flour, Albion, Young Warriors, Tucber Park, Blairmont, West Berbice and Cotton Tree.
In the first round, West Berbice edged past Cotton Tree by four runs, and Rose Hall Town NAMILCO Thunderbolt defeated arch rivals Young Warriors by eight wickets, while hard-hitting all-rounders Damon Vantull and Leon Swammy led Tucber Park to a seven-wicket victory over the Gudakesh Motie-led Albion Community Centre Cricket Club.
The two semifinals were contested between Blairmont and West Berbice, while RHT NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour clashed with a strong Tucber Park Cricket Club. Tucber Park was off to a flying start with Vantull being his usual destructive self, but his dismissal by left-arm spinner Keith Simpson was the key turning point. Tucber Park was restricted to 53 for 8 off their reduced quote of five overs. Vantull fell for a top score of 20, and left-arm pacer Javed Karim then claimed a helmet trick, removing four wickets in four balls as Tucber Park collapsed. Karim ended with 4 for 5 from one over.
In reply, RHT lost Jonathan Rampersaud (06) and Javed Karim to be at 16 for 2 in the second over. Sinclair, who was strangely left out of the Guyana Super 50 team, then took 29 runs from the helpless Jamin La Fleur as RHT NAMILCO Thunderbolt romped home to victory with an over to spare. Sinclair was unbeaten on 42, and skipper Clinton Pestano was on three not out. West Berbice defeated host Blairmont by 20 runs in the second semi-final.
Due to fading light, the organisers were forced to reduce the final to two overs per side. RHT NAMILCO Thunderbolt won the toss and elected to bat with Sinclair hitting the first three balls of spinner Andrew Dutchin for huge sixes,bat, while Pestano also struck Vivek Lalsa for three fours in the second over as RHT reached 45 for 1 from their two overs. In response, West Berbice were restricted to 25 for 3 and lost by 22 runs.
President of the Blairmont CC, Shabeer Baksh expressed gratitude to the teams for playing in the well-organised tournament, despite the early morning showers. Kevin Sinclair was named player of the tournament and man of the final. The championship honour was the 131st one for the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club since its formation in 1990.
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