A brutal attacking innings of 59 runs from the powerfully-built Rakesh Somwaru spearheaded defending champions Blairmont Community Centre to a successful defence of their Elizabeth Styles Under-21 title.
The victorious Blairmont Community Centre team take a photo op with the company’s rep, Bissoondyal Singh
They surprisingly defeated Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets by 61 runs in the 2018 final at the Port Mourant Ground in front of a fair-sized crowd.
Blairmont won the toss and elected to take first strike on a pitch that played slower and lower as the match progressed.
They lost their first wicket in the third over when former National Under-19 pacer Sylus Tyndall had Seon Glasgow caught behind for 10 and then Nigel Deodat for 9 with the score on 43-2, by wicketkeeper Chanderpaul Govindan off Kevlon Anderson.
Blairmont slumped to 88 for 6 in the 22nd over as Javed Karim (19); Zameel Nazir; F Subhan (0) and Marvin Prashad (15) all fell cheaply.
Somwaru then played the innings of his life as he smashed four massive sixes and six boundaries. He added 90 for the seventh wicket with the elegant Fawaz Gafoor. Gafoor rotated the strike nicely and scored 44 runs with two boundaries before he was eventually bowled by Anderson with the score at 178. Blairmont were eventually dismissed for 195 in 36 overs. Anderson ended with 4-44 while Keith Simpson took 2-20 for Rose Hall.
National players Kevin and Junior Sinclair raced to 52-0 from five overs before the latter threw his wicket away for 11 in the sixth over.
Lunch was taken with the score at 63 for 1 from eight overs. Left-arm spinner Nigel Deodat struck a crucial blow when he had the in-form Kevin Sinclair caught at cover for 43, and then off-spinner Seon Glasgow trapped Anderson for 11 as Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets slipped to 73 for 4 in the 12th over.
Deodat and Glasgow bowled well in tandem as Rose Hall Town were bowled out for 134 in just 25 overs. Tyndall, batting at number 8, batted with flair to score 33, which included a six and five boundaries. Meanwhile, Deodat and Glasgow were the main destroyers for Blairmont, claiming 4-33 and 4-43 respectively. Marvin Prashad supported with 1-19.
Elizabeth Styles representative Bissoondyal Singh praised the Berbice Cricket Board for organising a highly-successful tournament in a short time span. Elizabeth Styles, he stated, was also highly impressed by the Board’s no-nonsense attitude to indiscipline and the mileage the company received from media coverage.
To loud applause, Singh announced that sponsorship for 2019 would be renewed as the company was committed to Berbice cricket.
BCB Secretary Robby Saywack and President Hilbert Foster both expressed gratitude to the sponsor for investing in the development of Berbice cricket. The Under-21 Tournament, Foster stated, is a bridge between the Under-19 and First-Division levels.
Foster also hailed the outstanding development of Blairmont and their successful defence of their title. Blairmont carted off the championship trophy and $70,000.
