The stage is set for an exciting clash today at the National Stadium, Providence when defending champions Albion Sports Club of Berbice takes on Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) in the final of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Neal and Massy sponsored 40 over first division competition.
Albion defeated South Essequibo by four wickets in their semi-final match played on Thursday at the Albion Community Centre Ground whilst GCC played at home and defeated Rose Hall Town Windies Sports Bar by six wickets.
In the Albion/ South Ess-equibo clash, captain Narsingh Deonarine and fellow senior Berbice Inter County team-mates Verasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishu routed the opposition for a meagre score of 127 off 35.3 overs.
But then their batsmen struggled to reach the target against the bowling of Norwayne Fredericks (3-38) and Trevor Benn (2-17) from eight overs apiece with only national opener Sewnarine Chattergoon and Imran Khan making 20 each.
How they will fare against a GCC bowling attack led by captain Jason Benn, former West Indies fast bowler Reon King and the ever consistent Paul Bevaun, who will be taking care of the fast bowling department. Then the spinners led by Neil ‘Beast’ Mc Garrell, Ricardo Jadunauth and Ravi Sarwan can enter the fray to keep the batsmen in check.
Therefore, Chattergoon, his brother Ramnarine (who represented the Combined Campuses and Colleges in the recent Regional KFC Cup and is expected from Barbados), Deonarine, Khan and all rounder Doodnauth Lallbeharry will have to buckle down and bat to post a score worthy enough to be defended by the Albion bowlers on what should be a docile batting track.
The GCC batsmen will also be looking to come good with the bat. With a batting line up consisting of Robin Bacchus, the ever reliable Vishal Singh, who batted his team to victory in their semi- final match with an unbeaten 48, Sarwan, Ricardo Jadunauth and former Guyana and West Indies captain Leon Johnson, the Bourda boys can get a score of over 250 batting first.
However, their approach will have to be different. Taking into consideration that Johnson especially struggled to put away the bowling of off spinner Assad Fudadin and Troy Matheison. It just leaves one to wonder what national leg-spinner Verasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishu would do to Johnson and the rest of the GCC batting on the Providence track should GCC be required to bat second.
Regardless of who bats first or second, an exciting feature is carded for the day. With free admission, a large turn-out is also expected at the venue to witness the action that will get underway from 10am.
