By Neil Barry Jr.,
Aggressive batting from national middle order batsman Leon Johnson led the Georgetown Select XI to a super over win against the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) at their Queenstown ground on Tuesday.
Johnson smashed an unbeaten half century before hitting out in the super over to ensure victory. In a match reduced to 18 overs per side and on a wicket which still had some moisture, the Georgetown Select XI fielded first and saw DCC’s opening pair of Travis Dowlin and Andrew Lyght Junior putting together 37 runs in 3.5 overs before Dowlin was dismissed, caught at mid on off Joshua Wade for 17 with a six and two fours. Lyght reached 21 with a six and three fours before he was dismissed as DCC slid from 61 for 1 to 66 for 5 as seamers Kellon Carmichael, Robin Bacchus and Wade grabbed four wickets among them. DCC managed to get a competitive total thanks to late hitting from Andre Stoll, who made a 16-ball 24, with two maximums and one four. His partnership of 20 runs with Dexter George helped DCC reach 126 for 9 off their allotted overs. Carmichael took 3 for 30, Wade 3 for 26 and Johnson 2 for 19.
Veteran off spinner Garvin Nedd piled on the pressure by bowling a maiden in the first over of the chase, before Shemroy Barrington was dismissed in the second over for a duck, caught at deep midwicket off Stoll. Johnson arrived at the crease when Bacchus was dismissed with the score on 22 for 2, and remained positive despite wickets falling around him. Georgetown lost Forde for 16, Elon Fernandes for 6 and Akeem Dodson (0) to Christopher Barnwell as they slid to a precarious 77 for 7 at the end of 13 overs. But Johnson struck four sixes and two fours to take his team to the brink of victory. However DCC had other ideas as Barnwell entrusted himself with the final over, which yielded nine runs and forced the match into a super over. Stoll finished with 3 for 20, while Barnwell took 3 for 30. Since the Georgetown Select XI batted second in the match, they had to bat first in the super over, and they went into this over with Johnson and Bacchus to try to score as much as they could off six deliveries from Andre Stoll. Bacchus hit a six, before he was bowled, but Johnson was superb as he struck two sixes and a four in 18 to give his team 26 runs to defend, which they did as DCC’s pair of Barnwell and Lyght Jnr. could only muster 10 runs in their super over bowled by Bacchus, even though Barnwell did strike one six. For his efforts Johnson was rewarded with the man of the match prize, while his team walked away with $50,000.00.
