GCB’s Senior Inter-County 50-over tournament: Berbice vs President’s XI match abandoned

– Berbice aiming for improved showing in Tuesday’s final

By Brandon Corlette at Providence, EBD

Overnight rainfall and early morning showers, coupled with wet spots on the surface of the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, have forced a postponement of the third-round clash between the Berbice and President’s XI teams in the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) Senior Inter-County 50-over tournament.

Already dominant in its performance, the Berbice team is aiming to improve on its performance in Tuesday’s final at Providence, even as it awaits determination of its opponent, either Demerara or Essequibo.
Having won two matches, the “ancient county”, as defending champions, were keen to patch up their grey areas against the President’s XI team, but conditions at the venue did not so permit.

After the match was called off, Berbice Head Coach Julian Moore had this to say: “This does not change much for us. We already qualified for the finals after the second win. But in saying that, we wanted to play (against President’s XI), we felt that there are certain areas that need to be improved. It was the perfect opportunity for the bowlers to get another go, some of the batters to get some form. We are a bit disappointed, but, at the end of the day, we don’t have control over that; so, we try and prepare for the finals as best as possible.”

Asked what had most impressed him in the Berbice team, Moore disclosed: “From a batting perspective, we managed to put up partnerships, and big partnerships! In both games, we had two good opening partnerships, which is always good in setting the foundation for the team. In the first game, against Demerara, it was exceptional for us to score 360-plus; but, from a bowling perspective, we were able to take 10 wickets in both games! We had periods where the opposition counter-attacked, but the bowlers responded well.”
For the Berbice team, Anthony Bramble has been Mr Consistent with the bat, while Jonathan Foo, Shimron Hetmyer and Romario Shepherd each scored some runs, and Rampertab Ramnauth showed promise.

Meanwhile, GCB President’s XI Assistant Coach/Manager Andre Percival has described this match postponement as a missed opportunity for his players, especially those who did not get an opportunity to show what they can do. “It is a miss, because some of the players who did not play would have got an opportunity to play; so, they are disappointed. Given the opportunity, they would have showed the selectors that talent is around. So, hard luck for the guys, since that is the end of the season,” Percival has said.
Percival, a former national player, has said he had seen improvements in the performances of his players, with skipper Trevon Griffith scoring a half-century in the second round against Demerara. “Young (Kwesi) Mickle, who batted well, and young Matthew Nandu, who got starts…,” Percival shared.
The tournament will continue today – Sunday, October 17 – at Providence with Demerara playing Essequibo from 9:00h. The final will be played under lights on Tuesday, October 18 from 14:00h at Providence.