The venue was the Georgetown Cricket Club. The teams were Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) against the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). The result was one-sided.
In the first game of the Hand-in-Hand-sponsored limited overs, knock-out cricket competition for second division teams, the mighty GCC proved its mettle against a team that seemed to be playing road cricket.
The GDF team was man-handled by former under -19 national player Jeetendra Sookdeo.
In a fine display of all-round brilliance, Sookdeo spanked the Army boys for 157 and then returned with the ball to rub salt into the wound by capturing three wickets.
GCC in their innings which was reduced to 45-overs-a-side instead of the scheduled 50 because of a late start got off to a flier thanks to a first wicket partnership of 69 between openers Waslim Haslim and Sookdeo.
Haslim cracked four boundaries in a quick-fire 22 before he became one of Mark McAllister’s three victims.
The more sedate Sookdeo then teamed up with wicketkeeper Yannick Grimes and the pair added 122 for the second wicket before Grimes lost his cool and his wicket too as he held out to Terry Fraser off burly pacer Keith Fraser.
He had made 70 with three sixes and six fours.
Sookdeo and Delon Fraser added 39 runs for the third wicket before spinner Derrick D’Silva induced Delon Fernandes to hold out to Terry Fraser in the deep.
Sookdeo eventually reached his century with a push back past the bowler and scampered for a couple.
His century came up in the 34th over and GCC were 226 for 2.
Sookdeo had been joined by Gavin Singh and the pair piled on the pressure with first the 250 and then the 300 came up.
Singh made a useful 33 that was studded with five fours.
In the frenetic run chase wickets tumbled with Australian-born Romain Grenville being run out for one and Chivnandan Shivram caught off the bowling of McAllister for one.
Sookdeo reached the 150 landmark in the final over but going for quick runs he was last out for a well played 157 with one ball remaining and the score 320-7 off 44.5 overs.
GCC ended on 324-8 with Sookdeo’s 157 decorated with 15 boundaries.
In the bowling department pacer Terrence McAllister took 3-58 and Da Silva 2-61.
GDF in reply, saw wickets falling at regular intervals with spinner Gavin Singh bagging 4-33.
GDF’s hopes were raised when number three batsman Mark Haynes and Keith Fraser joined forces. The pair attacked the GCC bowlers and the run-rate mounted to eight runs an over.
But a communication mix-up saw the two batsmen ending up at the bowler’s end and Haynes was run out after making 11.
With the GDF 74-3, Fraser decided to carry the attack to the GCC bowlers striking fours and sixes at will but his partners had other ideas and formed a procession that marched back slowly but surely to the pavilion.
When the dust settled GDF were all-out for 135 with Fraser top scoring with 71 which was decorated with nine fours and three sixes.
Sookdeo, who was denied a hat-trick by Totaram Bishun, ended with 3-3 off three overs with one maiden.
