The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) created history when it became the first Cricket Board in Guyana and the West Indies to host a 100-Ball Tournament, which involves 14 six-ball overs and two eight-ball overs. The Tournament has now reached the final stage, with arch-rivals Rose Hall Town (RHT) Bakewell and Albion Community Centre Cricket Club set to battle for the prize.
Erva Giddings
They both easily won their semi-final matches, with Albion Community Centre Cricket Club crushing Chesney Cricket Club by nine wickets while RHT breezed past Courtland Cricket Club by 110 runs.
The Berbice cricketing public is accustomed to seeing these two teams in a Berbice final with several promising talents on both sides.
Playing at the Chesney Ground, Albion routed the home team for a meagre 48. Chesney Cricket Club lost the kingpin of their batting, Imran Khan in the third over when he was caught and bowled by left arm spinner Mahendra Chaitnarine for six with the score on seven.
They never recovered as the Albion spinners never released the pressure which was backed up with brilliant fielding.
Avinash Deonarine (11); S Khan (13) and Imran Kamaladin (10) were the only players to reach double figures as Chaitnarine’s 3-9 and Joshua Harrichand’s 3-12 were impressive for the opposition.
Albion, in response, raced to 50 for 1 in 4.3 overs, with Ritesh Umroa unbeaten on 30 and Jeetendra Outar not out on 11. Ramesh Kassinauth was the only batsman dismissed, bowled by Narine Deonarine for 8.
At the Area H Ground, RHT won the toss and batted first. They lost their in-form captain, Kevin Sinclair on the first ball of the innings when he was caught and bowled by Leyland Edwards. National Under-19 player Junior Sinclair and the elegant Surendra Kissoonlall then added 101 for the second wicket before Sinclair was dismissed for a well-played 48.
Kissoonlall went on to score a classy 63 while Berbice Under-19 Player Keith Simpson supported with 27. J Johnson took 2-31 for Courtland as RHT reached 179 for 5 from their allotted 100 balls.
Courtland, in reply, were destroyed by West Indies left-arm female pacer Erva Giddings and National Under-15 off-spinner Jonathan Rampersaud. Giddings took 4-15 from four impressive overs while the talented 14-year-old Rampersaud took 3-6.
Meanwhile, the BCB will announce the date and venue for the final shortly.
Popular businessman and contractor Mohamed Raffik is the sponsor of the Tournament.
