By Neil Barry
Demerara Cricket Club’s `A’ team held on for a tense victory against Malteenoes while the Demerara Cricket Club’s `B’ recovered from a batting collapse against Georgetown Cricket Club to ensure an all DCC final in the inaugural Georgetown Cricket Association’s David Persaud Investments Cup one-day Under-19 tournament on Friday.
The final will be played at the Everest Cricket Club ground Camp Road on September 9.
In Friday’s semi-finals Garvin Nedd’s sides showed good composure as they fought for contrasting wins against sides who were playing at home.
At Bourda, Georgetown Cricket Club captain Devon Lord won the toss and elected to bat first but his side was immediately up against a spirited DCC `B’ team which claimed the first wicket without GCC scoring as Rajiv Balgobin began with a wicket maiden. Samuel McKenzie offered token resistance with 22 but really no GCC batsman was allowed to settle as DCC `B’ restricted them to just 101 all out in 31.4 overs with tidy bowling. Travis Persaud claimed the figures of 5.4-14-3 while Balgobin ended with 5-2-13-3.
On the easy-paced Bourda wicket, GCC’s new ball pair of Bernard Bailey and Cleon Chritchlow started energetically bowling in good areas to rein in the usually aggressive DCC `B’ opening pair of Ronaldo Renee.
A good leg-side catch from wicket-keeper Martin Pestano Bell accounted for the wicket of Renee off the bowling of Bailey as GCC made their first breakthrough with the score on 13.
Lunch was taken with the score on 2 for 26 in eight overs and the game still in the balance although a GCC fielder had dropped a catch on the stroke of lunch.
After the lunch interval GCC bowlers backed up by fine fielding continued to exert pressure and were rewarded with two run outs as they reduced DCC `B’ to 35 for 5 before a fighting innings of 20 from Malcom Hubert helped push to score to 71 when he was bowled by Shamar Graham.
Level headed batting from Carlton Jacques and Xaviee Smith saw their team home in the 35th over with no further hiccups. Jacques finished on 29 not out and Smith 10 not out to grant their team victory by four wickets.
At Thomas Lands, Demerara Cricket Club `A’ won the toss and elected to bat but the Malteenoes side immediately began to reinforce just why they were unbeaten throughout the league phase as they exerted pressure from the beginning.
Seamer Kareem Naughton removed Khemraj Rupee with his first delivery and Malteenoes continued to make regular breakthroughs with only Andrew Gibson getting himself in with a score of 33.
However, the last wicket pair of Yekini Favourite and David Mohamed took the score to 160 in 45 overs with a partnership of 30. The final wicket pair helped tilt the momentum in DCC’s favour at the halfway stage.
Naughton finished with figures of 8-1-30-3, while Steven Sankar finished with 10-2-22-3 to keep the lid on the scoring while grabbing crucial middle order wickets.
Malteenoes inning’s started well with Nichosie Barker carrying on from his 170 in his last game getting the proceedings going with four boundaries in his first five scoring shots. A brilliant diving catch by Andrew Gibson accounted for Denzel Allen’s wicket as the opener hit off spinner Orlando Sturge to cover attempting a back foot shot with the score on 23.
Barker duly reached 400 runs in the tournament with a drive through cover for four but fell to Sturge caught at slip, cramped for room trying to cut a ball than bounced a little extra for 32.
With score on 52, Shaquille Williams pulled Sturge to deep midwicket to leave the game in the balance.
Sturge continued to plug away with his off spin and he accounted for Vishal Narayan in the same over.
Jamal Norton played an assured hand of 47 as wickets fell around him but when he was dismissed with 30 more runs to get for victory Malteenoes seemed in trouble. Norton struck one six and four fours in his innings.
When skipper Omesh Dhanram removed Norton and seamer Michael Shalim cart wheeled Cordel Mars off stump the DCC camp began to celebrate sensing victory with just one wicket left to take.
The celebrations appeared premature when Steven Sankar was dropped on the midwicket boundary by Keanu Henry and the game cantered towards a tense finish.
However, with Malteenoes a six away from victory, Sankar pulled a high full toss to Harry who redeemed himself at midwicket by taking a low catch earning DCC `A’ a five-run victory.
Sturge finished with figures of 4 for 33 from 10 overs of incisive off spin while Dhanram finished with 2 for 27 from 9 overs.
