By Neil Barry Jr.,
Even as the West Indies battle to win their first major world title since the 2004 Champions Trophy in England, locally, a battle none-the-less significant to two of Georgetown’s more prominent clubs will take place simultaneously between the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) and the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in the final of the New Building Society (NBS) second division limited overs competition.
The two clubs have been by some distance the best units so far as they both topped their respective groups before progressing to the final in convincing fashion.
Both teams were formidable in their semi-final encounters as they won by victory margins of more than 100 runs respectively.
The tournament was launched in May of this year, with the NBS pumping over $900,000 into their inaugural partnership with the Georgetown Cricket Association.
Despite a delayed start due to an extended rainy season, the tournament was exceptionally ran while also producing some exciting cricket.
The final has been set for the historic Bourda ground, giving GCC the home ground advantage on a pitch usually excellent for batting.
GCC showed their composure at home as they racked up 4 for 287 in their semi-final win over Police.
Openers Winston Forrester and Robin Bacchus will be key at the top of the order for GCC while their middle-order looks solid with Alex Ramalho, Elon Fernandes and the improving all-rounder Almando Doman.
Bacchus has been in form since scoring a double hundred in the Heroes Cup while Forrester, Fernandes and Doman all average above 50 in the tournament thus far.
With the ball the spin trio of Forrester, Doman and Devon Lord will be the critical components of GCC’s attack while the seam bowling pair of Bernard Bailey and Cleon Critchlow have been successful with the new ball.
Coach Monty Lynch has been at the cusp of an improving fielding performance from the GCC team, who were quite clinical in the field in their semi final match.
For most final, it is often the side that performs the basics better, especially in the field that comes out on top. This will be most necessary to overcome a resurgent DCC side.
DCC find themselves in their third final of this GCA cricket season and will look to continue their clean sweep of them today. If GCC were clinical in their 102-run win over Police, DCC was destructive as they whipped Everest by 178 runs en route to the final.
DCC possesses a talented batting line-up with the experience of Linden Smith leading the way while Under-19 players like Omesh Dhanram, Kemol Savory and Andrew Gibson can be productive in support of the more experienced Jamal Hinckson and Jahron Byron.
Dhanram hit his way to a century against Everest while Orlando Sturge and the explosive Dennis Squires as well as seamer Dexter George are capable of providing a final flourish to the end of an innings.
Of all the DCC batsmen, the two batsmen boasting averages in excess of 50 in the league stage have been George and Squires and DCC will be hoping their all-rounders fire on all cylinders to give them victory in the final. Coach Garvin `Tibbsy’ Nedd has been successful in preparing his teams right through from the Under 13 level and will look to add another trophy to his tally. The last time these sides met in a final -the Haier Cup 50 overs competition — GCC easily prevailed. However, DCC will look to avenge that loss with a much more competitive showing.
The match commences at 10.30 a.m. and the umpires will be Montgomery Chester and Mario Nicholls with Hortence Isaacs on stand by.
