Lightening doesn’t strike twice in the same place. That is what the University of Guyana Trojans would be trying to comprehend, having faced the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) last weekend in keen competition at the DCC ground, and again failing to secure a spot in the final of the NBS 2nd division 40-over cricket competition.
UG Trojans in one of their matches in the NBS 2nd division tournament
Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, captain of the UG side, Melroy Stephenson, had this to say: “We played a good tournament for the most part. As a team, it was a tough pill to swallow, and we still haven’t discussed what transpired on that day itself. In due course we will do such, and think of ways in which we can continue to develop and improve our cricket. Ultimately, we would love to win another GCA title in the foreseeable future.”
Stephenson described Ershaad Ali as a revelation throughout the tournament, in addition to Omesh Danram. Their play ultimately earned the UG side a spot in the Cricket Guyana Inc franchise setup, representing East Bank Demerara and Georgetown respectively.
At the beginning of the match, the toss favoured the student side, who inserted the Queenstown-based side to bat. At the end of the allotted 40 overs, DCC managed to rack up 283-6, a worthwhile total to defend.
Scoring for DCC was national under 19 player Sachin Singh, who made a well composed 66 and was ably supported by Alphius Bookie, who contributed 52, and Raymond Perez, who made a quick-fire 55 not out.
Bowling for the student side was Nicholas Bollers, who claimed 2-59 from his seven overs; Dennis Heywood, who impressed with 1-26 in his 8 overs, and Damion Vantull, who chipped in with 1-48 from eight overs.
Facing the monumental task of scoring 284 for victory, the Trojans crumbled meekly under the excellent bowling of DCC, succumbing to a meagre 121runs scored in 29.5 overs.
Putting up resistance for the Trojans was Ali, who continued to impress throughout the tournament with a fighting 49. Picking up wickets for DCC was junior Windies player Ashmead Nedd, who bagged 5-31 and was supported by Dennis Squires with 3-17.
This duo literally spun the DCC into the finals, where they will now have to face Georgetown Cricket Club at the DCC Ground on October 6 in the grand finale.
