The previously unbeaten Mavericks team must be ruing their luck.
After controlling the match for much of the day the West Demerara Mavericks, the only unbeaten team in the Neal and Massy limited-overs national club competition could not understand what went wrong with the last ball.
After winning the toss against their much more accomplished opponents, the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in yesterday’s Demerara zone final at the Everest Cricket Club ground, the Mavericks got off to a scintillating start thanks to `burly’ opener Alim Khan.
Khan, and fellow opener Imtiaz Hack posted 81 runs in 14.5 overs as Khan bludgeoned the DCC attack to all parts of the ground in a 40-ball 51.
Khan’s innings was decorated with six fours and two sixes before he was deceived by a delivery from seasoned campaigner and former national off-spinner Garvin Nedd which spun back, kept low and breached his defence.
With his dismissal and not surprisingly, the once healthy run rate of around six runs an over dropped considerably and the Mavericks ended on 200/8 at the end of their 40 overs with Hack’s 53 the top score.
Hack was the other mainstay of the innings while there was a steady trek of batsmen to and from the pavilion.
In between, Vikash Dhaniram chipped in with 33 and Lalta Suknanan, 21.
Nedd was the pick of the bowlers taking 2-42 off eight overs while Keston George chipped in with 2-44 also off eight overs.
DCC, in reply, were off to a solid start with openers Troy Nurse with 24 and Trevon Griffith who scored 31, adding 57 for the first wicket.
The introduction of Mavericks’ spinner Lalta Suknanan led to a mild upheaval as Suknanan took three quick wickets to leave DCC on 67-3.
However, national wicket-keeper Darwin Christian quickly got into his stride getting off the mark with a pair of twos before hammering Suknanan out of the attack with an over that cost 16 and read 2, 2, and 2,4,0,6.
At this stage panic stepped into the Mavericks’ side which began to look tardy.
But some sensible bowling changes by Captain Nigel Vieira saw DCC losing two wickets even as Christian went about his business as usual.
DCC lost the wickets of Jamal Hinckson off the bowling of the much-touted Shaun Jairaj and Dennis `Bitter man’ Squires, who seemed uneasy at the crease and tried to hit his way out of trouble.
But Christian, cheered on by a handful of spectators reached his half century by caressing a delivery down the ground for a single before Mavericks medium pacer Thomas got one to nip back off the pitch and bowled Christian much to the delight of the Mavericks’ supporters and the distress of the DCC supporters. Christian’s 59 was decorated with six fours and one six.
At this stage the equation read 45 runs from 38 balls with Utam Munroe coming to the wicket to partner the much-subdued Hinckson.
Hinckson and Munroe got about scampering the singles and occasional twos but at the end of 47 overs the equation read 24 runs needed from 18 balls and by the time the final over came to be bowled 11 runs were needed.
The ground was hushed as Thomas was entrusted with the final over by Vieira.
The first five deliveries saw scores of 1,2,2,1 and 1 and four runs were needed off the last ball.
At this point Mavericks decided to put every available fielder on the boundary in the hope of saving a four.
But Munroe had other ideas up his sleeves. Thomas running in from the Carifesta Avenue end did what was expected of him aiming a middle stump yorker at Munroe who unleashed a mighty heave that saw the ball sailing towards Carifesta Avenue.
The match was over! Mavericks had failed to pull off a memorable win.
DCC ended on 203/7 with Munroe unbeaten on 16 and Hardcourt on 15. The pick of the Mavericks bowlers was Suknanan with 3-31 while Thomas chipped in with two wickets.