A sterling performance from the Chris Barnwell-led XI set up a nail-biting three-run win over Trevon Griffith’s XI in the second Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) 50-over trials played at the Everest Ground yesterday.
Chasing 206 for a win the Griffith led side encountered all sorts of problems from all-rounder Steven Jacobs (3-24), left-arm spinner Raj Nannan (3-29), pacer Seon Daniels (2-34) and a wicket from national leg-spinner Amir Khan who helped restrict their opponents to 203 all out in their 50 overs.
Left-hander Jeetendra Sukhdeo played aggressively for his top score of 45 and found support from Shone De Souza who chipped in with 40 as their team struggled to reach across the line in the final over of the game.
Batting first the Barnwell XI rode on the knocks of Chanderpaul Hemraj 49 (3×4) (3×6), Jacobs 45 (4×4) and Vishaul Singh 42 (5×4) as their team
reached 205 from their allotted overs. Left-arm fast bowler Gavin Moriah was the pick if the bowlers claiming 3-29 while Atonell Atwell and Ryan Shun picked up two wickets each.
During the chase skipper Griffith (25) and his opener partner Robin Bacchus (7) got off to a timid start as Barnwell landed the first blow when he had Bacchus caught and bowled after the left-hander attempted a lazy drive.
Shemroy Barrington (30), who scored 40 in the first match announced himself with a straight six off Randy Knights but failed to carry on and was caught in the deep off Nannan’s bowling. Griffith too looked set for a big score before Khan patrolling the boundary area completed a superb catch giving the tall leggy Nannan another wicket.
Chris Pattadin (7) was trapped LBW by Khan, while star with the ball in the first match Yatesh Dhanpaul (3) was easily caught by Knights at mid-wicket off the bowling of Jacobs.
Regional Under-17 MVP Sherfane Rutherford fell for a golden duck when Jacobs comprehensively knocked him over.
A brief passage of play involving Sukhdeo and De Souza helped to raise the Griffith XI’s 150, however Nannan struck again this time bamboozling De Souza who was out LBW. Shun (1), and the big wicket of Sukdheo who was bowled by knights saw the wheels beginning to fall off.
The final over bowled by Daniels was tidy and rewarding as he removed Dexter Solomon for 5 leaving Telraph Scipio (4*) stranded.
Earlier, after Moriah and Bacchus removed openers Andrew Lyght Jr (10) and Rajendra Chandrika, the middle order trio who all narrowly missed their half-centuries, stroked 15 boundaries among themselves in a valiant effort.
After the trio’s dismissal, Shun and Atwell and Moriah ran through the lower order with the exception of Amir Khan who resisted with an unbeaten 15-ball 25 as the other players fell for insignificant scores.
