By Calvin Roberts
An impressive spell of leg spin bowling from former national under-15 leg spinner Abdel Fudadin helped Rose Hall Town Windies Sports Bar (RHTWSB) defeat Leguan Community centre by 55 runs to claim the third position behind winners Malteenoes Sports Club and runners up Albion Community Centre Cricket Clubs respectively when the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Carib Beer/Pepsi sponsored national first division Twenty20 competition climaxed at the Albion Sports Complex on Sunday. After losing the toss and being asked to take first strike, RHTWSB made 129-4 from their 20overs with former national under-19 captain Andre Percival making a delightful and entertaining 57. Leguan in reply were undermined by the spin of Fudadin (5-11) and crumbled for 74 from 17.3 overs. On a flat and dusty wicket, RHTWSB were indebted to the efforts of Percival who in tandem with Khemraj Mahadeo posted 64 runs for the second wicket from seven overs following the early dismissal of their hard hitting opener Delbert Hicks who was bowled by Faoud Mohammed with the score on three. Percival who opened the batting with Hicks and Mahadeo (33) started their partnership with some excellent running between the wickets along with some handsome drives and pulls for boundaries. Mahadeo was in a destructive mood against the bowling of Leguan’s captain Tyrone Whyte whom he struck for four consecutive boundaries in the 8th over much to the delight of his teammates. It took the bowling of Hemraj Persaud (1-13) to separate the pair when he bowled Mahadeo as the batsman went for an expansive drive off a full length delivery.
Renwick Batson joined Percival but after hitting Mustak Zaman for a straight four back along the pitch, he was bowled by Whyte for 11. He had seen some production at the wicket for his team as he added 31 fro the third wicket with Percival who continued to soldier on for his team. He fell shortly after passing his 50 as he attempted to increase the runs flow for RHWSB bowled by Zaman. He struck six fours during his sojourn at the wicket. Michael Rangasammy was unbeaten on 11 when RHTWSB overs expired.
Hemraj Persaud (1-13), Mohammed (1-17), Whyte (1-20) and Zaman (1-23) were the successful bowlers for Leguan who had to find a way to cope with the guile of Fudadin later.
After being rocked by the medium pace of Batson early in their innings to be placed on 24-2 in their 7th over, they never found a way to get back into the innings once Fudadin who got three of his five wickets in one over created havoc with the ball against the Essequibo zone champions, who crossed three rivers and three creeks twice only to end up on the losing side on both occasions.
They lost Hokum Saviteer and Shazad Razack who were both bowled by Batson to be shakily placed on 24-2 in the seventh over. Zaheer Razack and Mustapha Zaman added 13 for the third wicket before Zaman who struck Terrence Madramootoo over long off for six was run out after ambling through for a second run. This opened the floodgates for Fudadin who wasted little or no time in eliminating the Leguan batsmen. He had Hicks execute one of his two stumpings in the innings to remove Whyte without scoring then Razack was caught by Clive Henry on the deep square leg boundary for 7 to leave the Essequibo champions tottering on 47-5 in the 13th over.
When Mohammed was stumped by Hicks off his last delivery of the 13th over, Leguan were beginning to stare down the barrel of defeat. It was no different when Tyrone Narine joined him in the pavilion after being bowled by Fudadin leaving his team precariously placed on 49-7.
Some robust hitting from Rick Stephen (13)who tried to single handedly put his team back into the reckoning, but Mahadeo would have nothing of the sort accomplished and took the final two wickets to ensure RHTWSB ended the competition as the third placed team.
Batson with 2-6 and Mahadeo 2-13 offered great support to Fudadin.
