Another low scoring match of the Pepsi/Carib T20 tournament saw defending champions Cellink Berbice emerge the winners over Essequibo by eight wickets at the Guyana National Stadium yesterday evening.
Essequibo had the best start of the tournament after three games and yet only managed 108-8 in their 20 overs. Part-time off spinner Narsingh Deonarine, after capturing a hat-trick in his team’s first match against Demerara, snatched 5-19 from four overs.
He got valuable support from right-arm leg spinner Devendra Bishoo who snared 3-16 from his four overs, but not before Essequibo squandered a solid half century stance from the Fredericks brothers, Royan (34) and Norman (29).
When Berbice batted their start was just as solid, but the opening pair of Richard Ramdeen (36) and Sewnarine Chattergoon (31) departed softly. Ramdeen was bowled by left arm spinner Anthony Adams, the lone wicket taker, playing across the line and Chattergoon went via the run-out route attempting a second run.
In the end it was Deonarine and Captain Assad Fudadin who saw the Ancient County home with undefeated contributions of 20 and 16.
When Essequibo batted the Fredericks brothers gave the Essequibians, who also lost their first match against the Rest Team, a solid start of 72 for the first wicket. The pair worked diligently for 13 overs to accumulate their runs, scoring two boundaries in the process.
The first boundary was an attempted on-drive by Norman off Esaun Crandon that went through mid-off after taking a leading edge. Royan struck the same bowler over mid-on for four to push the score to 30 without loss in the fifth over.
However, when Norman was dismissed, caught at point by Jonathan Foo off the bowling of Bishoo, the next substantial partnership was 17 runs for the seventh wicket between Selwyn Murray (12) and Adams (4).
The team only could muster 36 runs for their last nine wickets.
In reply, Ramdeen started with a glide to the third man boundary and then a drive through cover, off pacer Rayon Thomas. Chattergoon worked the ball around in the field. Ramdeen continued being the aggressor when he lifted Delon Heyliger over extra cover.
The two brought up their team’s half century in 5.5 overs. The Essequibo bowlers tried every strategy but the batsmen were set and their undoing could have only come from their own mistake. The easy pace continued until Ramdeen attempted to sweep Adams in the ninth over and was bowled for 36, which broke a 72-run opening stance.
He stroked three fours and a six in 27 balls. In the next over Chattergoon was run out by Ricardo Adams for 31. Fudadin and Deonarine continued from there with the former being the more silent partner and the latter, the aggressor.
With two more runs to win and Berbice’s place in the final secured, Deonarine dispatched Jason Heyliger over extra cover for four to wrap up the match with 15 balls to spare.
