-but GNIC declared league champions
By Kizan Brumell
The Guyana Industrial Corporation and the Malteenoes Sports Club were yesterday declared joint champions of the 2007 four-day Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) Cellink Plus first-division competition after the grand finale which ended yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club’s Bourda ground, failed to produce an outright winner.
However, GNIC, who had the most points, 62, at the completion of the preliminary round, were declared league champions.
The outcome of yesterday’s encounter was decided by the captains of GNIC and Malteenoes respectively, who called the game off at approximately 15:50hrs with no possibility of an outright result.
Scores in the match GNIC 209 and 185-6; Malteenoes 265.
Malteenoes resuming on their overnight score of 245 – 7 were dismissed for 265 for a first innings lead of 56.
Danny Narayan top scored for Malteenoes with 76 from 116 balls. He hit five fours.
Mark Montfort and West Indies selector Clyde Butts captured 6–63 and 3–90 respectively.
Batting a second time, GNIC were again off to a slow start as both openers were removed cheaply to leave the GNIC side tottering on 24-2.
GNIC were to lose two more wickets before the deficit was wiped off raising the Malteenoes players’ hopes of being sole champions.
But man-of-the-match Ejaz Mohammed and Rayon Griffith like they did in the first innings, repeated the rescue act and GNIC lunched at 116-4 with Mohammed on 30 and the attacking Griffith 49.
Fast bowler Jeremiah Harris was impressive capturing all four of the wickets to fall.
Upon resumption, Griffith slammed a boundary to bring up his half century but was bowled soon after by leg-spinner Damien Vantull for 58 ending a 73-run fifth wicket stand with Mohammed.
Malteenoes gained another success when Vishal Mulchand was removed without scoring by Vantull, but Mohammed found an able partner in Ryan Hercules and the pair put on a 52-run seventh-wicket partnership be-fore the decision was made of a drawn match.
Mohammed and Hercules were left unbeaten on 59 and 28 respectively.
It was Mohammed’s second half century of the match and he struck five fours from the 161 balls he faced in his three hour and 20-minute marathon.
President of the George-town Cricket Association (GCA) Bishwa Panday, congratulated the teams on their performance and thanked GT&T for its sponsorship which he declared was badly needed and which assisted in the payment of the full umpires’ fees without any help from the clubs.
GT&T Deputy General Manager, Terry Holder, said that the company was proud to be a part of a competition which has aided in the development of cricket in Guyana.
The first prize of $150,000 was divided evenly between the two teams while GNIC skipper Rayon Griffith received the league champion trophy and Mohammed the man-of-the-match trophy.
