RHT win Nasir Memorial One-Day 5/5 Tournament

Playing in front of a large and colourful crowd at the Area H Ground on Sunday last, Rose Hall Town (RHT) Bakewell Cricket Team defeated Courtland Cricket Club by 10 wickets to lift the Berbice Cricket Board’s Naeem Nasir Memorial One-Day 5/5 Cricket Tournament.
RHT won the toss and elected to field. Openers Troy Mathieson and Seon Crandon failed to dominate the RHT attack as Simon Lawson, Keith Simpson, Junior Sinclair, and Kevin Sinclair bowled well.
Courtland were restricted to 39 for 5 off their allotted five overs with Troy Mathieson (17) and Keon Sinclair (12) being the main scorers.
Medium pacer Keon Sinclair then conceded only four runs from the first over as Courtland Cricket Club tried to defend the small amount.
However, National Under-19 all-rounder Junior Sinclair smashed the first two balls in the second over for huge sixes off the left-arm spinner to ease the run rate. RHT then raced to 43 without loss off just 3.1 overs as Junior Sinclair ended on 28 not out while fellow National Under-19 player Kevin Sinclair was undefeated on 16.
Earlier in the day, Jai Hind Cricket Club gave a walkover to Courtland Cricket Club; Fyrish Cricket Club defeated Whim National Cricket Club by eight wickets; RHT cruised past Belvedere United Cricket Club by 70 runs while Albion Community Centre Cricket Club defeated Tamarind Root Cricket Club by 20 runs.
In the first semi-final, Courtland Cricket Club defeated Albion by seven wickets. Albion struggled to 25 for five off their five overs as Eon Gibson took two wickets for four runs. In response, Courtland struggled as well to achieve victory and reached 26 for 3 from 4.1 overs. Mathieson had 13 not out and Keon Sinclair ended on eight not out after Courtland Cricket Club had slumped to 6 for 3 in the second over.
In the second semi, RHT blasted their way to 87 without loss as Kevin Sinclair made 44 not out and Junior Sinclair pitched in with 31. In the opening round, the National Under-19 pair had scored 105 without being separated against Belvedere United. Fyrish were then restricted to 35 for 6.
In the third-place playoff, Albion defeated Fyrish by nine wickets.
RHT took home $100,000 while Courtland had to settle for $50,000, Albion bagged $30,000 and Fyrish won $20,000. Junior Sinclair was named man-of-the-final.
The Tournament was sponsored by Bakewell in memory of its founder and late Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Naeem Nasir, who died in October 2012.
Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) President Hilbert Foster hailed the success of the Tournament, which he stated was a perfect tribute to the memory of the Bakewell founder. Nasir, he stated, was a strong supporter of sports and education.
Bakewell has supported Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club since 2000, officially sponsoring its Under-17 and Second Division Teams. The company has also been a big supporter of Berbice cricket.
Bakewell General Manager Rajin Ganga praised the organising skills of the Cricket Board and the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, stating that it was fitting that the Rose Hall Town Bakewell Team won the Tournament. Bakewell, he stated, was committed to supporting sports as part of its corporate responsibility.