By Neil Barry Jr.,
The Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) batted through the first day of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Noble House Seafood’s second division final against Police Sports Club at the GCC, ground Bourda before being bowled out shortly before the close of play for 321.
However, on a track which remains good for batting, GCC will be wary of Police’s batsmen on day two in a match likely to be decided on first innings points.
GCC won the toss and elected to bat first, compiling 321 in 88.4 overs
after losing three early wickets.
They were rescued by a fourth wicket partnership between Almando Doman and Martin Pestano-Belle, GCC’s most consistent batsmen throughout the tournament.
The pair came together at 15/3 after Manny Forde, Fadil Umrow and Ray Barker fell cheaply. Barker threw his bat angrily after he was given out run out, wondering out of his crease. The penalty for a player bringing the match into disrepute was set at five runs at the prematch briefing, however by close of play a decision was not yet made on the incident.
Pestano-Belle retired hurt on 43 due top cramps and Doman cut Kevin Leitch to point for 43 from 66 balls. The pair took the score to 95 and though Devon Lord fell soon after for 11, Bernard Bailey and Treon Forde then featured in another useful partnership which again stabilized GCC’s see-saw innings.
The two took GCC to lunch at 162/5, albeit with some luck as Forde was dropped when on eight by Police captain Fitzroy Culley.
In sight of a century Forde missed a Randolph Knights delivery with the second new ball and was lbw for 86 from 130 balls, with 11 fours. The pair put together 95 for the sixth wicket. Bailey hit a couple crisp boundaries over mid on and mid off against the gentle medium pace of Troy Benn before losing his middle stump to the same bowler. Bailey made 64 from 94 balls in 117 minutes with seven fours.
Pestano-Belle returned, and with Samuel McKenzie once again helped GCC consolidate their position. The two continued the trend of wickets falling almost in pairs though as McKenzie was lbw to Pernell London and soon afterwards Bell edged Kevin Leitch to slip for 64. Bell scored 64 from 126 balls with nine well timed boundaries while McKenzie scored 15, departing with the score 309 for 9. Cleon Critchlow and Kevin Plants rallied the score to 321 before Critchlow was dismissed by Vishal Jaigobin. Randolph Knight finished with 2 for 24 for Police
to be the pick of the bowlers while Leitch had 2 for 79.
