Mario’s Pizza West Berbice Super Kings and Church’s Chicken Corentyne Titans are the first teams to advance to the semi-final of the Guyana Cricket Board Carib/Pepsi Twenty20 Big Smash tournament at the Skeldon Community Centre Ground yesterday.
Their contrasting victories have set the platform for the semi-final matchups. Mario’s Pizza West Berbice Super Kings eased to 104-5 in 18.5 overs, responding to Hotel Tower West Demerara Cavaliers’ 101 all out. Church’s Chicken Corentyne Titans on the other hand, were more clinical, routing Carib Foods East Bank Pirates for a paltry 58-9 as they chased 202 for victory.
In the first game of the day Hotel Tower West Demerara Cavaliers were inserted to bat and were reduced to 50-3 by the halfway mark. Wahied Edwards (0), Gajanand Singh (0) and Andrew Lyght Jr (4) were the casualties before Balram Samaroo and Kemraj Mahadeo added 41 for the fourth wicket.
They then lost their remaining seven wickets for a mere 37 runs.
Mahadeo (14) was undone by Eon Abel (2-23) before Balram went on to remain undefeated on 47, which included four fours and a six from 53 balls. Off-spinner Krisendat Ramoo finished with 3-12, removing the big bats of Andrew Percival (5) and Ishwar Singh (0).
Brandon Bess and Keon Joseph claimed a wicket apiece.
In reply, Mario’s Pizza West Berbice Super Kings openers Richard Ramdeen and Romain Budram added 31 from 7.2 overs before the latter was bowled by Samaroo for 13. The team suffered a minor collapse before Eon Abel (18) and the hard-hitting Keith Fraser (28 not out) put together 30 to push the score to 94-5.
In the end, Fraser saw his team home while Budhan Baksh (2-17), Balram Samaroo (2-20) and Percival (1-21) were the chief wicket takers.
In the second game, Church’s Chicken Corentyne Titans muscled an imposing 201-4. Sewnarine Chattergoon scored 107 and middle-order batsman Narsingh Deonarine 40 as the duo shared a 124-run stance for the second wicket after Anthony Bramble was dismissed for nine when the score was 33-1.
Chattergoon’s innings included eight fours and four sixes while Johnathan Foo chipped in with 25. Carib Foods East Bank Pirates’ spinner Charles Ramson Jr claimed 2-57, while Jadesh Bishun and Seon Hetmyer took a wicket apiece.
When Carib Foods East Bank Pirates batted they could only manage 59-9 in 15.2 overs. Zaheer Mohammed was unable to bat due to an injured finger.
Kerwin Austin (21) and former West Indies opening batsman Ryan Ramdass (14) were the only batsmen to make it to double figures. Clinton Pestano took 4-18, gathering support from Mark Lionel with 2-2; Deonarine, Steven Latcha and Rajiv Ivan claimed a wicket apiece.
