The inaugural Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Pepsi/ Carib Beer sponsored Twenty/20 first division competition got started in Berbice on Friday with three matches.
At the Skeldon Com-munity Centre ground, Corentyne, national opening batsman Royston Crandon blazed his way to 98 as Rose Hall Town Windies Sports Bar (RHTWSB) defeated the home team by 89 runs.
Asked to take first strike, RHTWSB made 160-7 from their 20 overs. Crandon faced 74 balls for his innings and struck eight fours and three sixes in the process. His elder brother and captain Esaun made 22 whilst Kelvin Clarke took 3-27 from four overs bowling for Skeldon who, in reply, were restricted to 71-9 from their 20 overs. Sydney Jackman Jnr made an unbeaten 29 as Assad Fudadin and former Berbice and Guyana Under-19 captain Andre Percival picked up two wickets each for four and nine runs respectively.
Scores: RHTWSB 160-7 Skeldon 71-9.
Albion defeats Scottsburg by six wkts
At Scottsburg, the home team lost to the Albion Community Centre by six wickets. The visitors, in preparation for their Neal and Massy title defence against Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), invited Scottsburg to take first strike and bowled them out for 86 in just 18 overs.
Pacer Doodnauth Lallbeharry grabbed the first five-wicket haul of the Berbice Zone by capturing 5-21 from four overs.
Peter Grimes and Calvin Cort with 19 each were the only batsmen to withstand the pace/spin combination of Lallbeharry and Devendra Bishu (3-14) and Verasammy Permaul (2-12) bowling for Albion.
In reply the visitors reached 89-4 from 16.4 overs with Imran Khan 32 leading the way with the bat. The under-rated Imran Jafferally took 2-17 from four overs of off spin for Skeldon. Scores: Skeldon 86 (18 overs) Albion 87-4 16.4 overs.
Bermine lost to Young Warriors
At Cumberland in Canje, former Berbice opening batsman Maxie De Jonge made 44 (2×6 5×4) out of an opening partnership worth 45 in just three overs for Bermine.
But following his departure, Bermine struggled as only Riaz Kassim (28) and Eugene La Fleur 21 not-out offering resistance to the bowling of former national under-19 batsman cum off spinner Gajanand Singh claiming 4-14 to restrict Bermine to 127-6 from their 20 overs.
Young Warriors replied with 128- 3 from 12.4 overs with Farouk Hussain 45 and Paul Wintz 32 not-out leading the way for their team. Scores: Bermine 127 18 overs Young Warriors 128-3 12.4 overs.
The second round of matches in this competition will be played on Thursday across the county.