Throy Kippins’ Man of the Match performance in the finals of the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association Masters Inter County T20 tournament led Permaul’s Berbice to the title on Sunday at the Ogle Community Centre Ground, East Coast Demerara. The occasion marked a timely return of inter-county softball cricket after an absence of more than two decades.
The victorious Permaul’s Berbice
The clash of the biggest over-45 years and older players on the local softball scene saw a spectacular turnout from fans who got their money’s worth as Berbice posted 143 for the loss of nine from their allotted 20 overs while Wellman’s Demerara fell just three runs short of their target in a thrilling chase that went down to the wire.
The Berbice innings got off to a shaky start with former first class player David Harper removing both openers, Khemraj Sumair (02) and Eon Abel (03) while Ramesh Narine removed Jagga Bhoj (04) to have Berbice struggling at 24-3. Soon after captain Verrapen Moonsammy was run out for 8 that allowed Kippins and Rudolph Baker to the crease who added 70 for the 5th wicket.
When Ramo Malone had Kippins bowled for 34 soon after Baker went for 33 allowing Ravi Lutchman to make a quickfire 15.
In the end, Jagdesh Persaud took 2-16 from their four overs while Harper bagged 2-15 from three overs to have the best returns for Wellman’s Demerara.
In response, the opening pair of Malone and Mahendra Arjune added a fast 17 for the opening wicket but when Arjune feel by playing a wild shot to Kippins it brought in Jagdesh Persaud who unsettled the Berbice bowling in his way to a well-crafted 39 before falling to Ravi Lutchman in his first over.
With Harper and captain Wayne Jones at the crease, the pair looked to be rotating the strike frequently however a breakdown in communication saw the run out of Jones who was stranded trying to take a second run that was never on the cards for 19. At that point Demerara required 29 from 24 balls that eventually went down to Demerara requiring seven from the last over.
Ravi Lutchman, with ball in hand and seven runs to defend stifled the batting side to only have three singles coming off his over and eventually see Berbice take the title by four runs. Kippings was awarded man of the match after returning figures of 2-23 while Lutchman took 2-14 from their four overs.
