DCC, GCC locked in battle for first innings points

GCA, GISE, Star Party Rentals, Trophy Stall 1st division 2-day cricket…

By Akeem Greene

Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) and Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) are locked in an intriguing battle for first innings points in the semi-final of the Georgetown Cricket Association’s (GCA)/General Industrial and Supplies Enterprise (GISE), Star Party Rentals and Trophy Stall First Division Two-day competition.

Playing at DCC on Saturday, GCC reached 172-5 at the close of play with Ronald Ali-Mohammed on 11 and Devon Lord on 08, still trailing by 129 runs in response to DCC’s first innings total of 301.
GCC, who took the crease about 15 minutes before tea, lost Robin Bacchus (08) with the score on 22, but Manny Forde, who played some exquisite straight drives, help his side reach 35-1 at tea. At the break, Forde was on 12 and Vishwanauth Ramlakhan on eight.
Upon resumption, Forde was bowled by left-arm spinner Totaram Bishun without adding to his tea time score, followed by Ramlakan (10) at 66-3.
Guyana Jaguars’ second leading runscorer this season in the PCL Four-day tournament, Visual Singh, took a liking to the spinners with a series of spanking drives and cuts.
Singh and Raymon Reifer tamed DCC’s enthusiasm with an 85-run, fourth wicket partnership, before Singh was out in bizarre fashion. Brian Sattaur, in his only over, bowled a full toss to the left-hander who only succeeded in finding the fielder at long-off, as he fell for an attractive 74.
Reifer (33) was then bowled by Bishun to leave the Bourda side 153-5.
DCC, batting first, would certainly not be satisfied with their first innings total of 301, as most of their batsmen fell to injudicious shots.
Former national youth captain Sattaur and West Indies Under-19 player Tevin Imlach added 88 for the first wicket, before Singh, bowling off-spin, got one to skid-on and trapped Imlach leg before for 16.
Singh then accounted for Kevon Boodie (02) and Sattaur (70 runs, 10x4s, 6x4s), attempting a slog-sweep which ballooned into the air, as the home side slipped to 101-3.
Captain Christopher Barnwell and Sherfene Rutherford then put on 121 in an enterprising fourth wicket partnership.
Barnwell, who hit 11 fours and two sixes, fell for 68 he lobbed a catch to mid-off, while Rutherford, who made 52 (4x4s; 4x6s), fell in the same over to left-arm spinner Anthony Adams.
The first ball of the next over Keemo Paul (00) was bowled by left-arm seamer Reifer as DCC lost three wickets with the score on 222 to be reduced to 222-6.
Dennis Squires (38), Kemol Savory (18) and Jahron Byron (11) made handy scores to carry the Queenstown side to their eventual total.
Singh (2-40) and Reifer (2-55) led the way with the ball for GCC.