GCB President’s XI recorded an easy 44-run victory over Noble House Young Warriors yesterday in the Carib/Pepsi T20 tournament at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda.
Batting at the behest of the Young Conquerors, the GCB President’s XI piled on 134-9 from their 20 overs with Elton Baker top scoring with 33, batting at number five.
In reply the Young Conquerors, scoring at a pedestrian pace, could only reach 91-8 with the highest run scorers being opening batsman Marcus Watkins and wicketkeeper Jason Sinclair with 19 and 18 not out respectively.
When the GCB batted, allrounder Joshua Wade seemed poised to make it an early day for the GCB players, picking up the first three wickets in a spell of clever bowling. His main weapon was his slow balls that deceived Abilash Deokie (6), Shawn De Souza (0) and Vishal ‘Cheesy’ Singh (0) into being caught.
Raul Browne, whose innings was uncharacteristically scratchy, tried to hold the innings together with Baker but succumbed to the guile of youth national leg spinner Shawn Pereira, who finished with 2-21 (4), for 17.
Baker continued with Jeetendra Sukhdeo, stroking the balls sweetly at times and upping the run rate with his quick running between the wicket.
However, when they were looking more comfortable Pereira had Sukhdeo caught behind when the score was 83 before Baker went by the run out route shortly after as the team reached 87-6.
The next five batsmen chipped in with quick scoring although they lost some wickets before the team closed with unbeaten batsmen Trevor Garraway and Amir Khan on eight runs apiece.
Faced with an uphill task to score 135, the Young Conquerors found it hard to get on top of the bowling before they ambled to the half century mark in the 13th over. West Indies Under-19 batsman Kwame Crosse showed some form when he punched pacer Garraway straight back down the pitch for four, before being caught at midoff for 15.
After his departure the pace of the innings declined further despite a spirited innings from Sinclair, who showed he was no rabbit with the bat. Garraway finished with a haul of 3-24, captain Esaun Crandon supported with 2-17 while Khan and Sukhdeo had one wicket each.
