Diors Bits and Pieces U23 tournament: Rain affects majority of opening round, but RHT Pepsi, Albion victorious

Heavy rainfall throughout the day affected the opening round of the Berbice Cricket Board’s Diors Bits and Pieces Under23 tournament on Sunday last. With a record 20 under-23 teams participating in the tournament, ten matches were scheduled for the opening round, but heavy rainfall throughout the county affected eight of them. Cricket was possible only at the Jai Hind cricket ground and the Area H ground.
Matches scheduled for Skeldon, Goed Bananen Land, Rose Hall Canje, Lochaber, Blairmont, Bush Lot, Cotton Tree, Kennards Memorial and D’ Edward grounds were all washed out. They will now be played on Saturday.
At the Area H ground, Rose Hall Town Pepsi defeated a spirited Kendalls Union Sports Club by 5 wickets after the match was reduced to 25 overs from the original 40. Batting first after winning the toss, Kendalls Union were bowled out for 128 in 24.3 overs, as the Rose Hall Town Pepsi bowlers maintained a good length and line throughout the innings.
Khemraj Parmangal top scored with an attractive 41 before he was brilliantly caught off the bowling of Ramesh Bharrat. His innings included two sixes and five boundaries. Mark Baker supported with 30.

The best bowlers for the home team were: Arthur Lucas, with 3 for 24; Jeremy Sandia, with 3 for 27; and Matthew Pottaya, with 3 for 24. Rose Hall Town Pepsi, in reply, reach 135 in 17.2 overs, with Ramesh Bharrat scoring 15, Ramzan Koobeer 20, Tyree Sealy 30, Jeremy Sandia 29 not out, and Sohil Mohammed 12 not old, all having batted well.
Hemchan Harris took 2 for 38 for Kendall’s Union.
At the Jai Hind ground, Albion Community Center easily defeated Edinburgh by 8 wickets to advance to the second round. the visitors were restricted to 55 all out in 15.4 overs, as another promising Berbice fast bowler produced a good spell.
Berbice Under-17 pacer Shiv Harripersaud took six wickets for 18 runs from six overs, while Naeem Khan, Govrav Ramesh, Kelvin Omrao and Kumar Deopersaud each took a wicket. Albion raced to 56 for 2 in 5.3 overs, with Berbice youth players Ari Arizal Kadir making 40 not out and Damian Cecil making 10 not out.
The BCB has rescheduled the following matches for Saturday
1. Achievers vs D’ Edward @ D’ Edward
2. Blairmont vs Woodley Park @ Blairmont
3. Cotton Tree vs Bush Lot United @ Bush Lot
4. Guymine vs Mt. Sinai @ Lochaber
5. Tucber Park vs Police @ Goed Bananen Land
6. Port Mourant vs Skeldon @ Skeldon
The tournament is being sponsored by Sandie Ross of Diors Bits and Pieces Boutique on the West Coast of Berbice.