Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets and Port Mourant Karibee Rice registered wins in the only two matches played in the opening of the 2011 Ramcharitar Construction Service First Division 50-Over Knock-out Cricket Competition in Berbice last Saturday.
According to a press release, overnight rain hampered the start of the other two match-ups between Edinburgh nd West Berbice and Police versus Skeldon Community Centre.
At the Port Mourant ground which saw a match-up between Port Mourant Karibee Rice and Blairmont Community Centre the match was reduced to 20 overs-a-side due to a late start because of overnight rain.
Port Mourant Karibee Rice edged Blairmont Community Centre by 6 runs after being asked to bat first. Port Mourant accumulated 120 for 4 in their 20 overs as Moshin Perkhan who opened the batting played sensibly for his 50 runs not out while Essequibo player Robert Moore contributed 17 not out to the total score.
Bowling for Blairmont came from off spinner Shabeer Baksh who took 2 for 27 from four overs while former West Indies pacer Brendon Bess made a return with figures of one for 29 off four overs.
Blairmont in response got off to a good start with Devendra Lalsa 38 and Andrew Jainauth 21 giving them an opening partnership off of 53.
Off spin then made an impact in the games as Rajendra Bolo and Devendra Thakurdeen picked up four wickets in two overs with their gentle off spin bowling. Bolo picked up three in one over while Thakurdeen took one in the following over.
Needing 15 to win in the final over Blairmont was held to 114 for 9 by Port Mourant’s disciplined bowling. Bolo ended on figures of four for 25 from four overs while Thakurdeen managed to take two for 22 from four overs.
Meanwhile at the Rose Hall Town ground, Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets defeated Young Warriors by two wickets in their match-up which was reduced to 28 overs-a-side due to rain.
With Rose Hall Town won the toss and asked Young Warriors to take first strike. Young Warriors were bowled out for 122 in 27.4 overs with Wahied Edwards stroking 42 runs while all rounder Kevin Ramdeen contributed 21.
Bowling for Rose Hall Town, leg spinner Shawn Pereira picked up three for 17 from six overs while off spinner Eon Hooper took two for 12 from 2.4 Overs.
In reply Rose Hall were soon in deep trouble at 30 for 5 as medium pacer Amir Rahaman picked up three along with left arm pacer Devendra Ramoutar taking two. However, Rose Hall’s Assad Fudadin and Neil Williams, playing his first game for Rose Hall after being away in Trinidad for over five years, put together a 37-run partnership for the 6th wicket before Williams fell for 17.
However, Fudadin who ended on 51 not out saw them through to safety at 126 for 8 in 25 overs. Bowling for Young Warriors, Amir Rahaman took three for nine from six overs and Ramoutar took two for 21 from five overs.
The competition will continue on Saturday along with the remaining first round matches mentioned earlier and a match-up between Albion Community Centre and Bermine.