By Marlon Munroe
Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) lifted the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/Busta Twenty20 second division title after a belligerent half century from captain Neil Barry at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground yesterday.
MSC, set 150 win by the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC), eventually reached 153-6 from 18.1 overs.
Barry smashed 24 runs off part-time bowler Quincy Ovid-Richardson’s solitary over before he was stumped by wicketkeeper Dexter Solomon for 51 when his team required just one run for victory.
His 20-ball innings brought the crowd back to life as he smashed four towering sixes and the same amount of fours. Barry’s knock was surpassed by teammate Troy Lewis’ 47-ball 102 against Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) in the first semi-final of the day with the batsman plundering 12 towering sixes and four fours.
Barry, who was also named man-of-the-match, was supported by Shaquille Williams who scored 33, which included seven fours and a five and Shawn Holder, who stroked two fours and a six in his score of 20. Ranole Bourne, who earlier top scored with 45 (3x6s, 1×4) for GNIC, returned with the ball to take 2-30 and Orlando Fraser, who made 20 when his team batted, took 2-27 from three overs.
MSC received $60,000 and a trophy while GNIC received the runner up cheque of $40,000 and a trophy.
In the first semi-final GCC posted an imposing 172-5 from 20 overs with Elon Fernandes chalking up 55 (4x4s, 3x6s) while Ricardo Jadunauth and Jeetendra Sukhdeo contributed 35 (5x4s, 1×6) and 28 (3x4s, 2x6s) respectively; Seon Daniels was the chief wicket taker for MSC with 2-37. In reply, while MSC were in some early trouble Lewis blasted his team into the final with some crisp pinch hitting.
His team eventually reached 173 in 19.5 overs with Daniel Gravesande being left not out on 38 (4x4s, 2x6s). Raj Nanan grabbed 2-21 from his four overs.
In game two in front of a boisterous crowd, Bourne dismissed five Everest batmen for 20 runs to restrict the Camp Road-based team 109 all out from 16.5 overs as they chased 151 for victory. Jermain Grovesnor chipped in with 3-24 from his three overs as only Chris Patadin (23) and Khemraj Ramdeen (19) making any scores of significance.
When GNIC bated, Ejaz Mohammed scored a patient 59 (4x4s, 3x6s) and he got assistance from Orlando Fraser (24) and Jason Melville (22). Christopher Surat and Dennis Mangru each took two wickets for Everest.