By Neil Barry
Sport pundits commonly use the phrase “Cometh the hour, cometh the man” to describe a sportsman who saves his best performances for the most important moment of his playing career.
At the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday, in the final of the David Persaud Investments Cup under-19 one-day final against the Demerara Cricket Club’s (DCC) `A’ team, the DCC B’s Kemo Paul, Man-of the Match a week earlier in the Brainstreet Under 15 final, delivered another match-winning performance to land the title safely in the `B’ team’s hands in fantastic style.
His efforts with both bat and ball, as well as in the field, overshadowed another performance worthy of a final, a century from Andre Gibson with DCC `A’ on the ropes early in the match.
The match began in sweltering heat with a sprinkling of DCC supporters, the majority of which rallied behind DCC `B’ as `A’ team Captain, Omesh Dhanram, won the toss and chose to bat first. The underdog notion is usually a motivator for teams in the final of any sport, but throughout the tournament, DCC `B’ played with the guile that suggested they were on par with their clubmates in the `A’ team. Skipper Kemol Savory marshalled his troops impressively from the start as his seamers Paul and Rajiv Balgobin found some swing and early seam movement. With their energy in the field showcased by desperate dives and good saves, it didn’t take long before DCC `B’ made the first breakthrough as Sunil Rupee edged Paul to the wicketkeeper in the third over. Two balls later Michael Shalim was lbw to the impressive Paul, who also removed Khemraj Rupee in his fourth over compliments of another catch by the wicket-keeper. Dhanram, however, threatened to spark a recovery with a boundary over mid off, but DCC `B’s persistence in the field was rewarded when Xaviee Smith snapped up an excellent diving catch at second slip to have Dhanram dismissed off the bowling of Balgobin for five.
With the score on 23-4, DCC `B’ were guilty of sometimes bowling too straight to Gibson, allowing some of the pressure to be relieved with a couple flicked boundaries wide of fine leg. As he played himself in, Gibson and Orlando Sturge helped calm the nerves of the DCC `A’ camp with assured batting. Two spanking shots through mid on were the highlight of Gibson’s knock, although he was dropped early in his innings, a single blunder against otherwise commendable fielding from the `B’ team in the early stages of the game.
When Sturge drove Malcolm Hubert wide of mid off for four, you could sense the momentum starting to shift in favour of the `A’ team, although the game was still well in the balance.
After a couple nervy overs on 49, Gibson brought up his half century with a cut past backward point and followed it up with a pull wide of midwicket and an ondrive for four, although he was aided by some sloppy work by the fielder at long on.
As DCC `A’ three figures in 27 overs, Gibson and Sturge put the pressure back on the `B’ team with confident batting and aggressive running between the wickets which seemed to take the wind out of younger players on the `B’ team as their early energy lapsed into a sporadically lethargic display.
With 20 overs to go the `B’ side was in need of a lift in the field as the pair looked to press on, but they failed to find the momentum in the field as Sturge was dropped at long on off Xaviee Smith allowing Gibson to celebrate the century partnership with a pulled six over midwicket. The partnership was ended with the score approaching 170, as Sturge was run out for 47, in a partnership of 145 that spanned 33.1 overs. Sturge’s knock came from 106 deliveries and he hit five fours. Clitus Johnson came to the crease with DCC `A’ hunting quick runs in the final few overs and attempted to start the late innings surge with a pulled maximum over backward square.
Gibson brought up his century when he was afforded two runs off an overthrow after stealing a quick single to the right of the fielder at short midwicket. With his hundred secure he whipped his next delivery powerfully to the midwicket boundary to bring up the `A’ team’s 200.
Hunting quick runs Johnson held out to long of, after which Cleon McEwan was run out attempting a single straight to the fielder in the circle.Paul collected his fourth wicket when David Mohamed was lbw as the `B’ team wrestled to regain some late momentum, which they did as they prevented quick scoring in the ‘death’ overs. The `A’ team ended on 9 for 223 with Gibson not out on a well-played 112.
Paul’s early bowling effort landing him 4 for 49 from his quota of 10 overs.
Savory, the `B’ team skipper got his team off to a positive start, targetting National Under 19 pacer Dexter George as he hit him for five boundaries forcing the skipper to remove him out the attack.
Sturge, who usually opens the bowling with his off-spin, again bowled well from the ‘bottom’ end, as he delivered a first spell of eight overs for 10 runs but the opening pair ensured he remained unrewarded for his frugality.
Savory, who dropped Gibson, was given a life by Gibson himself at slip on 39, allowing himself and partner Ronaldo Renee to bring up the 50 partnership in the 11th over. Savory moved to 49 with a lofted drive straight over the head of Keanu Henry, before bringing up his half century two balls later, off a total of 82 deliveries.
As the teams wrestled back and forth for the upper hand, the momentum shifted back to DCC `B’ as the opening pair brought up the hundred partnership with good aggressive running and below par fielding from DCC `A’. Seamer David Mohamed finally made the breakthrough for the `A’ team with the score on 107 when he had Renee lbw for 36, that included six well-timed boundaries. After a period in which run scoring slowed, Savory was caught behind off the bowling of Dhanram for 69 from 103 deliveries with 10 boundaries.
Paul and Malcom Hubert steadied the ship with confident batting, as the diminutive Hubert pulled George for a powerful six. Paul brought up the 150 with a boundary past third man as the game motored towards a close finish and the crowd grew larger to witness an entertaining final. The `A’ team struck another blow when David Mohamed removed Hubert via the lbw route for 23.
With 70 to get off the final 15 overs and seven wickets remaining, the match hung very well in the balance. Nicholas Bollers slashed a six over backward point but was soon Mohamed’s third victim as he was caught and bowled for 10 while Paul and Rajiv Balgobin ran well between the wickets as they took the score past 200 in the 42nd over.
With 20 to get from eight overs the tide had turned for the final time and DCC `B’ supporters remained on their feet as their team approached victory. With eight runs to get the persistent Sturge was finally rewarded with a wicket, but it was to be too little too late as DCC `B’ finalised the result in fading light with a celebratory cover drive for four from Man of the Match Kemo Paul, who remained unbeaten on 45.
