The festive season kicked off on Saturday with one of the most anticipated cricket matches of 2018 – the encounter between an Everest Masters side and a Media XI side.
Guyana’s most successful Masters cricket team hosted members of the local media fraternity in a friendly 20-over contest on Saturday at the Everest Cricket Club ground from 13:00h.
The Media XI, taking first strike, posted 160-6 off their allotted overs. Their batting was opened by Rajiv Bisnauth and John Ramsingh (18). Ramsingh, however, retired and Bisnauth was left to carry on.
Ryan Banware then came to the crease, and he compiled a resistant 20 before he was stumped off the bowling of B Persaud.
Bisnauth proceeded to strike a well compiled half century, but eventually retired on 53. The only other member of the Media team who was able to add a meaningful figure to the score was Siddiq Mohamed, who made 26; the other four Media wickets fell for 21 runs.
Needing only 161 to win off 120 balls, the iconic club started their chase with former West Indies batsman Dr Shivnarine Chanderpaul and stalwart Saheed Mohamed opening the innings.
Chanderpaul and Mohamed dictated the Everest innings from the first ball they faced, as they demolished the poor bowling of the out-of-form Media XI to score 55 and 62 runs respectively.
By the time they had retired, the platform for victory had already been set. From there, on R Jaisingh and R Banware took Everest over the line with 10 and 14 runs respectively to give Everest Masters a commanding win.
Individual prizes were then given to: Basil Persaud, who was adjudged man of the match for his 4-33 and 14 not out; Rajiv Bisnauth, who scored 53 for the Media team; and Saddiq Mohammed, who was adjudged the Media Team’s best bowler.
This event was sponsored by proprietor of Trophy Stall, Ramesh Sunich.
