The First Division team of the Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour continued their dominance of cricket in Berbice by registering an easy 58-run defeat over Tucber Park CC to win the Berbice Cricket Board/Stag Beer 50 Overs tournament for 2019/2020.
The victorious RHT Namilco Thunderbolt Flour Team
Played at the historic Port Mourant Cricket Club Ground, this match was dedicated to the memory of the late Basil Butcher, AA, legendary West Indies Test player, who was buried on Friday last in his home village. Before the match was played, both teams observed a minute of silence in tribute to Butcher.
Fortified by the presence of former West Indies ODI player Royston Crandon, the Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt team won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch that had some moisture.
They lost national junior player Junior Sinclair to Jamal La Fleur for 6, to have the score read 12 for 1 in the sixth over.
‘Man of the Finals’, Jason Sinclair, receiving his award
Veterans Khemraj Mahadeo and Jason Sinclair then featured in a crucial 63-run partnership for the 2nd wicket, before Mahadeo was caught off Kwesi Mickle for 27.
Sinclair was joined by former national player Delbert Hicks, and they added 49 critical runs for the 3rd wicket before the in-form Hicks fell for 22, while Sinclair went on to top score with 67.
Crandon (6), Eon Hooper (1), Keith Simpson (18) and Sylus Tyndall (8) were the other batsmen to be dismissed cheaply, while Keon Sinclair was unbeaten on 15 as RHT Namilco ended their innings on 192 for 8.
Tucber Park’s veteran off-spinner Devon Clements took 6 for 36 from 10 impressive overs, while La Fleur and Mickle each took a wicket for their team.
They needed to score 193 from 50 overs, but Tucber Park soon found themselves reeling at 3 for 3 in the second over. After bowling three successive wides in the first over, former National Under 19 pacer Sylus Tyndall trapped Clifton Lindie lbw for zero, and then removed the off-stump of La Fleur for a first-ball duck.
Thereafter, Tucber Park lost Martin Singh first ball to Eon Hooper, who soon had skipper Anthony D’Andrade lbw for 5 and held a return catch to remove Maxine De Jonge for 3. The Tucber Park score at that point was 22 for 5 in the eighth over.
Tyndall then bowled Clements for 12 in the 11th over, to have Tucber Park slump to 33 for 6; but former RHTY&SC member Damion Vantull began a counter-attack on his former teammates with a brutal 36, which included three boundaries and two sixes.
Vantull received vital support from Mickle, with whom 67 was added for the 7th wicket before national junior cricketer Jonathan Rampersaud held a brilliant catch to dismiss Vantull and rewrite the score at 99 for 7.
Mickle, however, went on to register 50 unbeaten runs as Tucber Park were bowled out in the 36th over for 134.
The fiery Tyndall took 3 for 31 from 6 overs, while Hooper had 3 for 20 from 9 overs and the talented Rampersaud bagged 3 for 20 from 6 overs.
Jason Sinclair was named Man of the Finals for his crucial innings of 67.
BCB President Hilbert Foster expressed gratitude to ANSA McAL’s Managing Director Troy Cadogan for his support to Berbice Cricket, and described the tournament as having been highly successful.
Foster called on clubs in Berbice to be grateful for the progress being made, and to assist the BCB, which to great applause announced that over $7 million in sponsorship had been raised in just two weeks in 2020 as Berbice Cricket continues to expand.
