An all round team performance led Lower Corentyne to a 62-run victory over West Berbice in the final of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) organized National Communication Network (NCN) Under-15 Inter-Zone competition at the Edinburgh Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Batting first upon winning the toss, Lower Corentyne was dismissed for 180 in 48 of the allotted 50 overs.
They then dismissed West Berbice for 118 in just 31 overs.
After an opening stand of 26 between Nazrudeen Bux and Nicholas Cameron, Lower Corentyne lost two quick wickets to be 28-2.
Bux was caught off pacer Dillon Joseph for 13 who also got rid of national Under-15 player Parmanand Narine for one.
Things got worse for Lower Corentyne who slipped to 58 for 5 in the 13th over as medium pacer Grisean Grant went to work.
Grant dismissed Cameron for 13 and national players Shailendra Shameer for five and Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai without scoring.
But Arif Chan and Sharaz Ramcharran pulled their team out of trouble with a partnership of 88 runs before the latter was bowled by Grant for 33 in the 41st over.
Chan was eventually dismissed for an attractive 46 that included four fours while Berbice Under-15 player Devin Baldeo was left unbeaten on 20.
Grant took 4 – 41 and Joseph 3 – 36 while Kevin Jawahir, Parmanand Ramdhan and Derick Narine all took one wicket each for West Berbice.
In reply, Lower Corentyne medium pacers Ryan Mootoo and Manoj Looknauth had West Berbice on the back-foot early in their innings and by the fifth over, the score was 15-3.
Skipper Quacy Mc Pherson lost his leg stump to Mootoo for eight while Looknauth accounted for Rennison Mitchell and Thomas Mc Donald. The introduction of spinners Avinash Wajid and Shameer brought two more wickets as West Berbice slipped to 38 for 5.
Leg-spinner Wajid had Derick Narine trapped lbw for eight while off-spinner Shameer took a brilliant return catch to get rid of Nick Ramsaroop for nought.
Kevin Jawahir stroked a patient 30 while Marlon De Putron and Parmanand Ramdhan batted well for 13 and 12 runs respectively but it was only enough to get their team into triple figures.
Chan was named Man-of-the-match He received a trophy since it is the BCB’s policy that no cash prizes will be shared out to Under-13 and Under-15 players.
Each player in the final received a scientific calculator valued at $3000 to assist them in with their school work.
CEO of NCN, Mohamed Sattaur, who met the teams before the start of the game, praised the progress of cricket in the ancient county and announced to great applause that his company will continue the sponsorship in 2011 because of the satisfaction they received from their investment.