Junior Sinclair propels RHT Namilco Thunderbolt to crushing title win over Albion

BCB 2019 Elizabeth Styles Under-21 final…

Story and Photos by Brandon Corlette

Former Guyana Under-19 player Junior Sinclair recorded a great all-round performance to lead the Rose Hall Town (RHT) Namilco Thunderbolt team to a seven-wicket win against Albion in the Berbice Cricket Board 2019 Elizabeth Styles Under-21 final match, played at the Area H ground in Rose Hall Town.
Sinclair struck a blistering 73, and claimed three wickets, being well supported by Berbice under-19 batsman Mahendra Gopilall, who struck an impressive unbeaten 50.

After heavy rainfall, Albion scored 159-7 in a match reduced to 31 overs, while the RHT Namilco Thunderbolt team cruised to 160-3 in 23.4 overs.

Sukwah, February lead Albion charge
Albion had earlier won the toss and elected to bat first. Jetindra Outar (07) and Reyad Karim (01) fell cheaply to pacers Sylus Tyndall and Kevlon Anderson.
Captain Adrian Sukwah and Sarwan Chaitnarine were at the crease when the showers came, and the score then was 18-2, made in 10.3 overs.

The players left the field at 10:50h, and play resumed at 13:55h, meaning that the match was reduced to 31 overs.
Former National youth player Adrian Sukwah dropped anchor and rode his luck after he was dropped on 27 and 35 by Anderson.
After Chaitnarine (03) was stumped off the bowling of Junior Sinclair, Ramesh Kasinauth looked promising, but was dismissed for 10 by the impressive Sinclair.
After Sukwah dominated the 51-run stand with Kasinauth, Antonio February entered with the score at 85-4. The right-handed Sukwah eventually lost his wicket to Jonathan Rampersaud, when the score was at 93-5 in the 26th over. His well-constructed innings of 65 included six fours and one six.
The burly Antonio February slammed youth player Rampersaud all over the JC Chandisingh school, which is located on the southern end of the Area H ground.
Rampersaud had figures of 1-33 in four overs, and that was revised to 1-63 in five overs after his last over yielded 30 runs. February scored a destructive 47, which included three spanking fours and two huge sixes. He was supported by Kelvin Umroa who hit 19, including one four and a solitary six, as Albion posted 159-7 in 31 overs.
Sinclair ended with 3-37 in seven overs, while Rampersaud had forgettable figures of 2-63 in five overs. Keith Simpson had 1-23 in six, while Tyndall had 1-11 and Anderson claimed 1-12.

The Sinclair-Gopilall show
In response, the RHT Namilco Thunderbolt team’s openers Sinclair and Lucas Arthur added 18 runs together. Arthur struck one to long-off and was run out for five, while the classy Anderson was also run out in suicidal fashion for 19, with Sinclair being the culprit in the miscommunication.

At 56-2, Mahendra Gopilall partnered Sinclair, and the duo found boundaries at will. The Albion players found it difficult to compete on the unfamiliar Area H outfield. Sinclair’s player-of-the-match innings was decorated with seven fours and four maximums in his innings of 73, despite him being dropped on a tough chance on 60. He, however, was trapped in front by leggie Kasinauth at 139-3 in the 21st over.
After that 83-run partnership had ended, Gopilall continued to play his shots and saw the game to the end. Gopilall was unbeaten on 50, which included four boundaries and two sixes. Rampersaud was unbeaten on 10, sealing the match.
RHT received the winner’s trophy and a cheque worth $100,000, while Albion had to settle for the runners-up trophy and a $50,000 cheque.