A comprehensive 59-run win by Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour over Tucber Park saw them lift the Berbice Cricket Board/Stag Beer 50-over first division title and $100,000 yesterday.
The match, which was played in honor of the late Basil Butcher at his home ground of Port Mourant, saw Thunderbolt winning the toss and opting to bat, scoring 193 for 8. In reply, Tucber Park were dismissed for 134 in 34.1 overs.
Man-of-the-Match, Jason Sinclair piloted Thunderbolt with the bat on what seemed to be a difficult wicket with a match defining 67 that included two boundaries.
The 32-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman told this publication, “It is always a good feeling to do well and see your side come out on top…I backed myself even though I had some pains and it was difficult to bat out there but I used my experience and picked the gaps since it is a big ground.” Losing captain, Anthony D’Andrade, at the half-way stage felt that the game was theirs to win but after being 32 for 6, it was difficult to recover.
“Even when you’re chasing a small total which we thought 193 was, to get off a start being 32 for 6, it puts you on the back foot immediately and we lost those wickets in quick succession and even before 10 overs so we left too much work for the tail enders to do,” D’Andrade said.
In blistering sunshine, after Sinclair lost his younger brother, Junior (06) with just 12 runs on the board, he added 63 for the second wicket with Khemraj Mahadeo who made 27.
Sinclair also shared a third-wicket stand of 49 with Delbert Hicks who made 22 before being caught at short extra cover off of Devon Clements.
Clements ended with 6 for 36 from 10 overs.
His wickets included that of danger man, Sinclair as well as Keith Simpson (18), Royston Crandon (06), Sylus Tyndall (08) and Eon Hooper (01). Keon Sinclair was left unbeaten on 14.
A fiery spell of fast bowling from Tyndall who struck twice in the first over saw Tucber Park off to a poor start.
The former national youth bowler knocked Clifton Lindie off his feet in the first legal ball of the match before his follow up delivery beat him for pace and trapped him leg before wicket. The pace was too much for Joemal Lafleur who had his stumps scattered by the third ball of the match. Tyndall also uprooted Clements’ off stump with a full pitched delivery to end with 3 for 31.
Offspinner, Hooper (3-20) immediately got into action at the other end, bowling Martin Singh with his first delivery of the day and trapping D’Andrade (05) leg before wicket after a series of unsuccessful appeals. However, arguably the play of the day was a return catch pulled off by Hooper from a belter from Maxie DeJonge.
Kwesi Mickle’s unbeaten 50 provided hope for Tucber Park as he shared in a 67-run stand with Damion Van Tull (36) to move his side form 32-6 to 99-7 in a little over 10 overs.
The back of Tucber Park’s batting was broken when 16-year-old off-spinner, Jonathan Rampersaud made up for a misjudged dropped catch off of Van Tull, to execute a rocket-like return take to send him packing. Rampersaud then snapped up two quick scalps to finish with 3 for 21 in six overs.
