A pugnacious innings of 77 from Man-of-the-Match Christopher Barnwell backed up by a 42-ball unbeaten innings of 55 from skipper Leon Johnson enabled Demerara to retain their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/El Dorado-sponsored Inter-County title with a 71-run victory over their nemesis Berbice at the Guyana National Stadium Providence, Friday night in a day/night encounter.
Asked to take first strike in a game reduced to 34 overs-a-side owing to rain, Demerara scored 204-6, on the back of a 132-run, first-wicket partnership between Barnwell and Rajendra Chandrika (44).
Berbice, in reply, were dismissed for 133 from 28.1 overs. It was the first day/night cricket match at the venue and over 6,000 spectators were on hand to witness the inaugural event.
They were given a spectacular treat by the batting of Barnwell who struck nine fours and one six during his 84 balls innings.
Both Barnwell and Chandrika took awhile to adjust to the wicket and negotiate whatever early movements and bounce the opening bowlers were getting out of it, but after doing such, it was fireworks from the bat of Barnwell around the fastest drying venue in the Caribbean.
Barnwell tore into the bowling of national fast bowler Esaun Crandon hitting him over midwicket, back past him along the ground and exquisitely through the covers for boundaries, all in one over.
Not to be outdone, Chandrika hit Paul Wintz through the covers for another boundary.
Berbice skipper and national middle-order batsman Narsingh Deonarine thought he saw enough from his fast bowlers and introduced spin in the form of Royston Crandon and West Indies under-19 left-arm orthodox bowler Veerasammy Permaul in the eight over.
But this did not quell the onslaught from the defending champions as Barnwell struck Permaul’s first ball through the point area for another one of his nine fours to realize the 50 before he tore into Royston Crandon first over also like a possessed batsman.
First he pulled a short delivery over midwicket for four and then followed that up with a disdainful back over the bowler’s head shot for six and another audacious drive through cover point for another boundary which took his score to 45 and Demerara to 65 without loss in the ninth over.
He inched closer to his second half century in this years tournament against the same opponents, when he hit Deonarine, who had replaced Permaul, over wide mid on for four and duly got there with a push down the ground off his 51st delivery.
All this time Chandrika was playing the perfect role of supporter, picking up the singles and the odd boundaries and offering his partner as much of the strike as possible.
The two achieved their century partnership, the first of the entire competition for the year from 18.2 overs following a cut through point for four from Barnwell off Crandon and, at the end of the first hour’s play, Demerara were 114 without loss from 20 overs.
Barnwell also struck Regional record holder for the most wickets and former West Indies leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo’s first ball through the covers for another boundary before he was run out by Royston Crandon attempting a second run to wide mid on with Demerara 132 in the 23rd over.
Chandrika followed in the next over again via the run out route but Johnson continued in the same vein as Barnwell with a stroke filled 42-ball unbeaten 55.
Demerara in the hunt for quick runs, lost four wickets for 49 runs in seven overs and Permaul who was on a hat trick, ended with 2-43 from seven overs.
Nagamootoo got the other wicket to fall to the bowlers and ended with 1-42 from six overs.
Berbice began their reply with Guyana and West Indies opener Sewnarine Chattergoon (09) and Royston Crandon (50) taking the score to 22 inside three overs.
Chattergoon, who was dropped by Steven Jacobs at backward square leg off Barnwell (1-33), drove the next delivery with authority through the covers for four but was caught by Orin Forde at first slip off the following delivery.
Deonarine entered the fray, but after tickling his first delivery from Barnwell to fine leg for four, he was run out by Chandrika at 29-2 in the fourth over.
And when national middle-order batsman Assad Fudadin (06) was caught by wicketkeeper Joseph Perry off the bowling of former national under-19 all rounder Kellon Carmichael (1-29), Berbice were in a spot of bother at 48-3 in the eighth over.
Crandon, who hit Carmichael for boundaries through the cover and cover point respectively followed by a belligerent hit over mid off off Barnwell for another boundary, was a helpless onlooker at the other end as the wickets fell.
He and Gajanand Singh (30) added 46 runs for the fourth wicket with both batsmen hitting Carmichael for boundaries in one over whilst Crandon steered Jacobs to third man for four to move to 36 whilst pushing Berbice to 76-3.
Singh then steered national off-spinner Zaheer Mohammed (1-13) to third man for four but unfortunately for Berbice, that was the last boundary for their team, as Orin Forde stepped into the limelight under the lights and created havoc.
After Crandon reached his half century with a single from his 49th delivery off Forde (2-13), he held out to Carmichael on the long on boundary two balls later.
Thereafter, there was a steady procession to and from the wicket.
National middle order batsman Homchand Pooran (05) could deem himself unlucky after being adjudged lbw to Mohammed despite getting an inside edge whilst Singh held out to Barnwell at midwicket off a full toss from Forde.
Esaun Crandon (09) lost his middle stump to Dion Ferrier (1-20) whilst Wintz was caught by Carmichael at long off attempting to hit Forde out of the ground at 131-8.
Two runs later and it was all over bar the shouting at 10:19pm when Delbert Hicks was run out by Krishna Deosarran as he attempted a cheeky single.
Permaul was left unbeaten on two.
In an invited comment, Johnson told Stabroek Sports that he was very happy with the result, having set out to retain the title from the very first game of the tournament against Essequibo. “I am very happy to have achieved this victory especially against a star-studded Berbice team. Many persons had written us off before a ball had even been bowled in this match saying that we were the weakest ever Demerara team.”
He added: “This victory will show that even though others viewed us as the weakest ever Demerara team, and being the underdogs against the Berbicians, we still played as a unit and came out on top against the strongest team in the tournament.
“Having said that, our openers set this game up nicely for us with their partnership while the bowlers returned to bowl a tidy line and length with the three early wickets pushing them (Berbice) on the back foot.”
Opposing captain Deonarine expressed his hurt at the loss.
“Having defeated them at Blairmont it is hard for me now to sit here and mull over this defeat, knowing that we have a very experienced side compared to them. However, having said that, I must also state that they outplayed us in all three departments.
“Their batting set up the game for them, especially Barnwell’s innings with the bowling and fielding being a perfect complement. I must tip my hat to Johnson for the way he handled his team in this game, never easing up on the pressure that they put us under,” said Deonarine.
For their efforts, Demerara received the El Dorado trophy and $100,000 whilst Berbice had to settle for the runner-up trophy and $50,000.
Barnwell received $10,000 for his match-winning performance.
