-capture Leslie Amsterdam trophy from home team
The Demerara Under-23 cricketers yesterday captured the Leslie Amsterdam Memorial trophy with a five-wicket triumph over Berbice at the Albion Community Centre ground.
The aggressive Waslim Haslim, who was adjudged Man-of-the-Match, led Demerara to victory with a polished 81 while getting invaluable support from Rajaendra Chandrika, who contributed 55.
The two, at one point, shared in a 116-run partnership for the second wicket.
In the end Demerara coasted to 232-5 from 43.1 overs overcoming Berbice’s total of 231-7 from 47 overs. When Berbice batted Jonathan Foo and Ranga Lachigadoo shared in 157-run third wicket stand chalking up 77 and 76 respectively.
Demerara skipper Steven Jacobs was the pick of the bowlers with 3-42 (10) bowling his off spin while medium pacer Kellon Carmichael captured 2-58. When Berbice bowled Seon Hetmyer, who contributed with the bat when the two teams contested the Colin Wiltshire Trophy which was won by Berbice, picked up 2-24 from seven overs bowling his medium pace.
Despite losing the wickets of Harrinarine Chattergoon, run out for nine by Andre Stoll, and Richard Ramdeen (23) by the 10th over, they showed the sort of grit that that their other teammates would emulate. Foo and Lachigadoo conspired to make the Demerara bowlers toil on a wicket that provided something for the batsmen who applied themselves.
Foo was not his usual aggressive self as he only stroked three fours and a six while Lachigadoo was more audacious as he hit three sixes and four fours in his 104-ball innings. When the two departed things went downhill before Berbice settled at a score that was lower than expected.
When Demerara started its run chase, West Indies under-19 opener Trevon Griffith was aggressive while his partner Chandika played the supporting role in the cast. West Indies under-19 pacer Keon Joseph, while he did not leak runs in the field, was guilty of overstepping the line constantly.
Joseph’s opening partner right arm pacer Keyron Fraser was treated with contempt by Griffith who thumped him for three fours in his introductory over. With the introduction of Stephen Latcha the free scoring was somewhat stemmed with the batsmen resorting to picking up the singles in the field.
Then in the seventh over a Joseph attempted yorker clipped the leg stump of Griffith who departed for 27, which consisted of three fours. Chandrika, whose technique looked more refined after his stint with the Sagicor High Performance Centre (HPC), took hold of the reins and the aggressive Haslim, who was dropped by Berbice skipper Eugene La Fleur at short midwicket when he was on three, followed suit.
The two batsmen made batting look easy in sweltering conditions. For the first time the Berbicians seemed under pressure. By the first official water break and 14th over into the Demerara innings they were sitting pretty on 90-1.
Chandrika and Haslim were dropped subsequently. Then Chadrika rubbed salt in the wounds by reverse sweeping spinner Krishendat Ramoo for four to the backward square boundary as Demerara appeared to be coasting to victory.
Words of anger and disgust spewed from the mouths of the sprinkling of home supporters that felt as if the Berbicians were not trying hard enough to shift the momentum back in their favour.
In fact what resulted was a reverse sweep from the left handed Haslim that went for four and subsequently, Chandrika bringing up his half century with a drive down the ground.
The Berbicians’ misery continued in the field: Haslim brought up his half century off a misfield that went for four and then gracefully flicked Joseph to the midwicket boundary for four after his return for his second spell; the same bowler was majestically driven through extra cover for four by Chandrika.
That shot brought cheers of “HPC, HPC” from his captain, Jacobs. However, shortly after Hetmyer made the breakthrough when he had Chandrika caught behind by Anthony Bramble for to break a 116-run partnership from 21 overs.
Haslim and Jacobs pushed the score to 189 before Jacobs was bowled for nine by medium, pacer Hetmyer.
The Demerara team continued its slow but steady trek to the 232 total and it was Haslim, with controlled aggression that assumed the lead role; every batsman at this stage fell into line, including Vishal ‘Cheesy’ Singh who just returned from England where he broke a 20 year-old record set by Justin Langer at Kent.
Suddenly erratic running and miscommunication entered into the mix between the two for a brief period that almost had Haslim run out thrice in as many balls. Proceedings returned to normalcy, if only temporarily, and then Haslim was run out after Singh had worked a delivery to short midwicket.
La Fleur fired in a throw for a direct hit. Haslim’s innings of 81 lasted for 93 balls, eight of which were fours. Singh played some deft shots but Perry had some difficulty handling the spin and he was bowled by Ramoo when his team needed 11 runs for victory.
Ironically, the Berbicians seemed more animated in the field as the overs started winding down with four wickets in hand. But it panned out in Demerara’s favour who now share the spoils of the Colin Wiltshire and Leslie Amsterdam Memorial Trophies.