Transport Sports Club (TSC) got past Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) by two wickets in their Georgetown zone semifinal clash of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) Hand-in-Hand limited overs competition, despite a stubborn 110 from Jeetendra Sookdeo at the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday .
Scores: GCC 253 all from 49.5 overs, TSC 254-8 from 49.5 overs.
Being asked to take first strike, GCC were bowled out for 253 from 49.5 overs, with national under-19 batsman Sookdeo receiving admirable assistance from Gavin Singh (53) with whom he added 139 for the third wicket from 14 overs, having added 45 for the second with Dellon Fernandes (15).
Sookdeo faced 113 balls and struck nine fours during his sojourn at the wicket, before he was caught by Terrence Poole at long off, when he attempted to hit Travis Blyden over the ropes in the 47th over. Singh had earlier departed for his innings which was decorated with three fours and lasted 66 balls.
Off spinner Stephen Alves was the pick of the TSC bowlers, claiming 4-52 whilst skipper Shawn Massiah offered support with 2-45.
When TSC began their reply, Blyden ,who led their batting with an accomplished 45 and Marc Nicholson 27, added 111 for the third wicket from 26 overs, after they were shakily placed on 41-2 in the seventh over.
Blyden struck two fours from the 76 deliveries he faced, whilst Nicholson faced 44 and struck five fours before he holed out to mid on. Despite some fighting spirit being displayed by Chandra Persaud and Carl Rambharose with 21 each, and Massiah (26; 2×4) and Poole (19; 3×4) TSC found themselves in a spot of bother at 218-8 in the 48th over following Massiah’s demise.
But Trevis Giddings (25*) and Stephan Sampson (11*0) kept their nerve whilst the GCC fielders lost theirs and after a premature celebration, where TSC were declared the winners, a recheck of the scores showed they were three runs short and needed to get there from two deliveries, which they duly did without any bother.
Wasim Haslim was the pick of the GCC bowlers, claiming 3-31 whilst Singh (2-30) and Fernandes (2-32) offered support which was inefficient at the end, as TSC journeys onto the final where they will face Everest Cricket Club on a date and venue to be decided.