Cousins and national U19 cricketers Junior and Kevin Sinclair combined with both bat and ball to comfortably secure the inaugural Berbice Cricket Board/ Raffik Construction 100-ball second division title for Rose Hall Town Bakewell with a six-wicket win over Albion at Tamarind Root Ground, Hampshire Berbice yesterday.
Albion took first strike under the afternoon sun, posting 130 all out from 96 balls while Rose Hall Town reached 131-4 from 84 deliveries despite a late scare.
A 78-run opening partnership between the two cousins aced the chase and left little for the rest of the batting line up to do, showing in the process that they were a class above the rest.
Junior Sinclair was up and running with two flicks that rocketed into the square leg boundary while Kevin Sinclair opened up proceedings with a boundary off of left-arm and national under 19 spinner, Kelvin Umroa.
Kevin Sinclair took a liking to Umroa, hitting him over his head and then through mid-wicket during the power play.
Sharaz Ramcharran was also hit for a six, back over his head, followed up by a flick into the vacant mid-wicket region as the pair scored 57 runs in the first five overs that constituted the power play.
The decisive partnership was broken when Junior Sinclair running a delivery down to backward point and attempting a quick single but was adjudged out for a solid 43 consisting of three fours and four sixes.
Rose Hall Town were put on the back foot with Gourav Ramesh striking twice in his first over but the total was never enough. Junior Sinclair ended unbeaten on 53, hitting four fours and five sixes.
Ramesh picked up 2-17 in two overs.
Earlier, Albion got off to a horrid start, losing both their openers to Sylus Tyndall who struck in successive overs as he trapped Rajesh Kassinauth leg before wicket and having Adrian Sukhwa caught at long on. The Albion innings was rocked further with Kevlon Anderson removing Ramcharran after being hit for a four while Keith Simpson struck in the power play to remove both Ritesh and Kelvin Umroa to reduce Albion to 35-5 in the powerplay. However, Antonio February battered the bowling on his way to a top score of 59, smashing three fours and three sixes before holding out to long on off of Man-of-the-Match Junior Sinclair.
Mahendra Chaitnarine was the only other batsman to reach double figures, carving four fours on his way to 28 after being dropped in single figures.
Junior Sinclair ended with 3-17 from two overs while Kevin Sinclair (2-24), Simpson (2-29), Tyndall (2-34) and Anderson (1-22) commanded the innings.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport after the match, skipper Kevin Sinclair said the game was pretty much even through most parts noting that he “was afraid after they attacked but we go out and attack them back.” The all-rounder added that “at one part in the game February took away the game” but the two cousins went out and got the job done.
