The Albion Community Centre Cricket Club retained its Berbice Cricket Board/ Tenelec Inc. limited-overs title last Sunday when they defeated Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets (RHTG&G) in the final by six wickets at the Albion ground.
The final was marred by bad weather, resulting in the match starting two-and-a-half hours late due to a wet pitch.
Eventually, when the match started at noon the game was reduced to 40 overs-a-side.
In the presence of a large crowd, Albion won the toss and sent the visitors in to take first strike. RHTG&G were dismissed for 133 off 37.3 overs as the Albion spinners exploited the conditions and the moist pitch. Batting for RHTG&G, Renwick Batson and Esaun Crandon were joint top scorers with 25 runs each.
Eon Hooper (16), Dominic Rikhi (18) and Assad Fudadin (15) were also among the runs.
Sewnarine Chattergoon took 2-13 (5.3), Veerasammy Permaul (2-21) and Narsingh Deonarine (2-24).
In reply, Albion secured victory after 34 overs, ending 134-4. Chattergoon top scored with 52, which included two boundaries, and Deonarine (25) and Ranga Latchana (21). Jonathan Foo ended the game with an aggressive, unbeaten 22 that included two sixes and a four.
Off-spinner Troy Mathieson took 2-26 from his seven overs while Crandon and Eon Hooper took a wicket a piece.
Chattergoon was named the Man-of-the-Final and received $15,000 while Albion took home the Tenelec Inc. trophy and $100,000. RHTG&G, the runners-up for the second year to Albion, received $60,000 and a trophy.
President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Keith Foster, at the presentation, lauded Bobby Deonarine and his partner Tom Gruentzel for supporting the development of cricket in Berbice and expressed the hope that the relationship would continue in the future.
Foster also stated that the county plays more cricket than the other two counties combined and this was because of the commitment of the BCB members.
