“The final of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Pepsi/ Carib Beer sponsored inter-county 20/20 competition will proceed as scheduled from 19:00hrs tonight between defending champions Demerara and their nemesis Berbice at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence,” says president of the GCB Chetram Singh.
He told Stabroek Sport that the protest lodged by the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) which is the third team involved in the tournament against Demerara is null and void.
“As far as I am concerned as president of the GCB, the match will proceed as per scheduled weather permitting as the protest lodged by the ECB is not a protest as at an Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) of the GCB two years ago, it was decided that any county can play two guest players in their team in an Inter-county competition held under the auspices of the GCB,” Singh stated.
Singh said further: “This protest is being deemed null and void and I would not instruct my executives to sit at any hearing in connection with same. Such a protest could only have been heard if it was being filed under the club level, but not inter-county level, as our decision two years ago covered same.”
It therefore means that cricket fans can expect to be fully entertained tonight at the Caribbean’s fastest drying venue when the two powerhouses in local Inter-county cricket meet once again in a final.
Demerara is the defending champions, having taken the title from the Ancient County at the same venue last year but not under lights, courtesy of a five-wicket victory.
Back then, they were indebted to the bowling of Guyana/Stanford Twenty/20 player Dion Ferrier who grabbed 4-19 to help reduce Berbice to 103-9 from their 20 overs to which they replied with 104-5 from 18.5 overs, thanks to the batting of Lennox Cush (29) and Zaheer Mohammed (23).
This time around, there is no Cush (out injured) and Leon Johnson who made 16 for Demerara, but they certainly have Ferrier and Mohammed, with the latter being the captain after the appointed captain Travis Dowlin vacated the position on the morning of the opening game against Berbice.
Demerara’s batting will hinge around national openers Rajendra Chandrika and Christopher Barnwell along with Dowlin who made an unbeaten 78 from 60 balls against Berbice, albeit in a losing effort, along with the controversial Gajanand Singh and Krishna Deosarran.
Add Shemroy Barrington who made an explosive 49 balls 63 against Essequibo, Steven Jacobs, Ferrier, Mohammed, Kellon Carmichael, Sauid Drepaul and wicketkeeper/batsman Maxwell Fraser to the fray and certainly the Esaun Crandon-led Berbice unit can expect a tough battle under the lights tonight.
The bowling which looked ordinary against Berbice and Essequibo, despite coming out victorious in the game against the latter, will hinge around Barnwell, Carmichael, Deosarran and Barrington who can all hold their own with the new ball.
The spin department which has been the stronghold during the early stages of this tournament will be managed by Jacobs who has been very economical in his county’s first two matches, Mohammed, Drepaul and Troy Gonsalves.
But the Ancient County team is certainly no easy walkover and would be looking to halt their losing streak to the defending champions at the venue and in that effort a total team effort would be needed, especially from the senior players.
Openers Royston Crandon and Richard Ramdeen along with middle order batsmen Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin, Jonathan Foo and Ranga Lachigadu will be expected to come good with the bat.
The same can be said also for Devon Clements, wicketkeeper/batsman Delbert Hicks and all-rounders Esaun Crandon and Paul Wintz who are all capable personnel with the bat.
No doubt, the strength of the Berbicians this year has been their bowling led by national left arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul who has continued to be effective as well as productive, following his impressive showing in the just-concluded West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President’s Cup tournament.
Strong support can be expected from the Crandon siblings, Devendra Bishoo, Wintz, Deonarine, off spinner Balram Samaroo and fast bowler Quesi Maltay.
Controversies aside, cricket fans can expect a keen tussle in this encounter, taking into consideration that the nucleus of the Guyana national 20/20 team will be selected from those who perform superbly in this tournament.
Teams for tonight’s encounter are:
Demerara: Zaheer Mohammed, Steven Jacobs, Christopher Barnwell, Rajendra Chandrika, Shemroy Barrington, Travis Dowlin, Gajanand Singh, Krishna Deosarran, Troy Gonsalves, Dion Ferrier, Kellon Carmichael, Maxwell Fraser, Sauid Drepaul and Amit Jairam.
Berbice: Esaun Crandon, Richard Ramdeen, Royston Crandon, Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin, Devon Clements, Jonathan Foo, Ranga Lachigadu, Delbert Hicks, Paul Wintz, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Quesi Maltay and Balram Samaroo.
Play will commence at 7pm, weather permitting.
