The Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) on Sunday evening at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), secured a thrilling one-wicket win over the season’s surprise package, the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) to move into the final of the New Building Society, second-division 40-overs tournament.
The win for GCC came on the back of a match-defining half-century by Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed which bettered a searing spell from Saheed Gittins who grabbed a `five-for’ to almost bowl his side into the final.
GCC, who will play Everest in the final was set a target of 176 to win, reached 177-9 in 31.3 overs.
The wobbly but successful response was fronted by Ali-Mohamed, a West Indies youth player, who cracked seven fours and three sixes in a knock of 62, the only half-century of the match to shrug off seamer Gittens who sniffed out 5-32 in a fine display of seam bowling.
Timur Mohammed (2-37) supported Gittens’ efforts which was thwarted by the last wicket pair Stephon Wilson and Bernard Bailey who both score nine runs to carry GCC over the line.
Earlier, MYO, after winning the toss and electing to bat, was dismissed for 176 in 36.1 overs with major contributions coming from Vinash Rampersaud who held the innings together but fell three short of his half-century. Rudolph Singh (28), Shafiek Ishmael (25) and Richard Latif (20) all got starts as seamer Carlos Larose snared 3-16 to end as GCC most successful bowler.
The usually consistent Devon Lord (3-45) backup
Larose’s efforts while Gavin Singh (2-24) and Stephon Wilson (2-29) completed a tidy bowling effort.
