Former Guyana under-19 all rounder, Joemal LaFleur, bagged 3-18 from 6.3 overs to help Bermine reach the semi-finals of the inaugural Neal and Massy Intermediate limited overs cricket competition in Berbice.
In the quarter-final match played recently at the Blairmont Community Development Centre ground, Bermine defeated West Berbice by three wickets in a tense, low-scoring affair.
West Berbice lost the toss and was asked to take first strike.
They lost the wicket of Quacy McPherson to former Guyana under-15 pacer, Niall Smith, with only seven runs on the board.
However, former Berbice under-19 batsman, Raffel Estriado and Devin Singh
Put on a partnership of 45 for the second wicket as Smith and former Guyana under-19 pacer, Romario Shepherd-DeJonge toiled away.
But Singh ran himself out for a painstaking eight and LaFleur, bowling off spin, clean bowled Estriado for 33 and had former Berbice cricketer, Krishnedat Ramoo caught for 0 to see West Berbice move from 52 for 1 to 61 for 4.
With former Guyana under-19 captain, Eugene LaFleur, the elder brother of Joemal, getting into the act also and Joemal picking up three more wickets, West Berbice were never given the chance to recover and their inning ended at 82 for 9 in 22.3 overs with the declared Murphy LaRose failing to show up. Joemal LaFleur ended with 5 for 18 and Eugene LaFleur 2 for 14 from three overs.
In reply, Bermine got a start of 30 from Joemal LaFleur and Aryton Adams, but the introduction of Ramoo, bowling off spin, saw LaFleur falling for 16.
Another former Guyana youth cricketer, Jamally Odle, came in and he and Adams added another 32 to put Bermine in a seemingly sound position. But pacer, Alan Johnson, and Ramoo had other ideas and they both made runs very hard to come by. Johnson picked up four consecutive wickets to have Bermine 62 for 1 at one stage, reeling on 66 for 5 with Adams falling for 17 and Odle for 18.
At 71 for 7 it seemed all over for Bermine but Eugene LaFleur used all of his experience to guide Bermine to 83 for 7 off 21 overs.
LaFleur ended on eight not out and Chris Sulker not out, two.
Bowling for West Berbice, Johnson took 4 for 25 from five overs and Krishnedat Ramoo 2 for 16 from eight overs.
