By Ravendra Kishore
Action continued last weekend in the Busta Cup 2nd Division 20/20 tournament as the local police failed again in their bid to arrest the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) boys.
The Guyana Police Force team who won the toss and bowled had DCC in early trouble as Andre Legal was out first going for a single only to be run out by the combination of Shameer Fazal and wicketkeeper Troy Benn. Legall called by his opening partner, the young Trevon Griffith, was left fuming back on his way to the DCC pavilion.
Griffith was joined by his experienced captain Dennis Squires but did not stay around long enough to learn much as with the score on 10 he edged one behind and the police custodian made no mistake off the lively Jermaine Tyndell to make it two down. Squires and number four batsman Kevin George then added some respectability to the score card before George became the second of Tyndell’s three victims, caught trying to heave one out of the ground going for 13 with the score on 48.
Number five and six did not bother to trouble the scorers as the police were now in an up tempo mood as the home team slipped to 61-5 with only Squires stroking the ball convincingly. Royston Atkins was bowled by Shameer Fazal and Lawrence Smith was caught behind off Tyndell who finished with the respectable figure of 4-0-31-3.
At this stage with almost half of the 20 overs completed the Police were whiffing the victory scent but Squires found an ally in Troy Nurse and together they took the score to 144 before Nurse became one of Rudolph Niles’ four victims, out for 26. In between Squires brought up his half century by putting Shameer Fazal on to Lance Gibbs Street off only 24 balls. Squires now realizing that overs were running out decided to place his club squarely on his shoulders and literally hit the Police out of the ground before he was out caught under the pavilion going for another upper cut for six. In his innings of 89 Squires counted 6X6 and 8X4 off only 43 balls.
The Police team at this stage were a dejected bunch conceding 170 runs in their 20 overs with Niles returning to mop up the tail claiming 4-12 off two overs. Apart from Squires and Nurse no other batsman made any other notable score.
When the Police took to the crease the small but partisan crowd wanted to see an early closure but this was not to be as Police Captain Trevon Benn and his opening partner Rawle Browne took the score to 39. Then Benn was needlessly out for 17 caught behind off Trevon Griffith by keeper Denvor Greaves.
Shameer Fazal came out and after stoking five runs soon found himself back in the pavilion after being run out by the keeper and Browne who had looked exceptionally well for his 32 was next out caught by the home side captain off the tireless Andre Legall. Browne counted two sixes and four fours in his mini gem.
The Police feeling the pressure and realizing that they had to buckle down in order to pull off a memorable win saw the other half centurion of the match Jason Heligyer and Cecil Adams coming together, adding 50 for the fourth wicket before Griffith in his second spell had him removed for 21 with the score now reading 110-4 and the Police needing 61 runs in six overs.
Niles earlier the hero with the ball was called upon to show he was no rabbit with the bat but the run rate was too much for the Police. After requiring 17 runs in the last two overs they folded under the pressure as Squires took the wicket of Heligyer caught on the edge of the boundary for 52 and two balls later had Gookaran Deokaran run out for duck.
The last over saw the Police requiring 12 runs but after scoring five off the first three balls the pressure was at this stage overwhelming and they surrendered meekly, needing six off the last ball but managed two to be on 168-7 when the overs ran out. In another game the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) were left asking themelves what went wrong on their home turf when they took on the Ace Warriors Cricket Club (AWCC) of East Ruimveldt. GNIC realizing that they were playing one of the most inexperienced team of the competition took first strike and riding high on C. Gibson’s 33 thought that they were in for an easy match.
AWCC’s bowling trio of Rawle Enmore, Delon Azore and Levar Douglas had other ideas as before the end of their 20 overs they limped to 76 all out with Azore picking up four wickets, Enmore three and Douglas two. C. Gibson with 33 and M. Rajmangal, 18, were the only batsmen to get into double figures.
When AWCC had their turn at the wicket led by consistent scoring from Abzal Gaffoor and Orandel Douglas, both with 17, and Azore 11, the East Ruimveldt side hit off the required runs for the loss of six wickets, bringing up their victory with a six to be 82-6 off 14.3 overs.
