Nandy Park crowned Cheddi Jagan memorial T20 champs
Former Director of Sport Neil Kumar (standing fourth left) with members of the victorious Nandy Park team
The annual Cheddi Jagan memorial T20 tournament concluded on Sunday with Nandy Park defeating Good Hope Golden Star Youth and Sports Club by six wickets in the final.
Batting first Good Hope limped to 109-8 before Nandy Park replied with 111-4 in 14 overs to lift the title.
Playing at the Farm ground, Good Hope found the going tough against some good bowling. Adrian Persaud and Asif Mohamed featured in a third wicket stand of 46 after Good Hope were reduced to 10-2.
Persaud survived some nervous moments before slamming three fours and one six in scoring 28, while Mohamed struck four fours before he was dismissed for 24. Incisive bowling from former national Under-19 all-rounder Rakesh Gangaram and off-spinner Seeraj Bhimsain restricted the scoring with only Randolph Raj the other batsman reaching double figures with 15.
Gangaram and Bhimsain claimed two wickets each, while Patrick Khan, Rohan Sarjoo and Navindra Pooran had one each.
Defending such a small total was always going to be a tedious task on the small ground, but left-arm spinner Delroy Williams provided Good Hope with the breakthrough when he trapped the in-from Mukesh Dass leg before for four with the score on eight.
Leg-spinner Adrian Persaud then bowled Sanjeev Datadin and Rickford Samaroo, both without scoring, leaving Nandy Park at 20-3, and an upset looming large.
However, opener Patrick Khan and Seon Wills repaired the early damaged with a fourth wicket partnership of 51 with sensible batting on a pitch that offered much assistance to the spinners. While Wills was content to rotate the strike, Khan who was named Man-of-the-Match was brutal on anything wayward.
He smashed three fours and two sixes before he was leg before to medium-pacer Andy Lall for 35. Any hopes on a Good Hope win quickly vanished as Gangaram belted two fours and two maximums in an unbeaten 24; Wills remained not out on 12 as Nandy Park finished on 111-4 in 14 overs.
Persaud had 2-11, while Lall took 2-24 and Williams 1-11.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, former Director of Sport Neil Kumar congratulated the winners and thanked the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association for hosting the final. Organiser Seeraj Bhimsain expressed gratitude to the sponsors and teams.
Meanwhile, Combined Herstelling defeated the newly formed Good Hope Youth and Sports Club by 33 runs in an earlier encounter. Batting first, Combined Herstelling scored 151 all out in 19.1 overs. Jagdesh Bishu scored 36, Pernell London and Roman Daniels got 32 each and Ricky Debidyal 14. Adrian Persaud claimed 3-16 and Seeraj Bhimsain 3-17. Good Hope were bowled out for 118 in 19.1 overs in reply. Alvin Persaud made 26, Mark Forde 18, Bhimsain 17 and Adrian Persaud 14. Buddan Baksh, Ricky Sargeant snared three wickets each while Delroy Williams had two.
