A remarkable triple century from Trevon Griffith along with a big century from Christopher Barnwell placed Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in a position to retain their title in the Georgetown Cricket Association/GISE/Star Party Rental/Trophy Stall first-division two-day final against Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC).
GCC won the toss and inserted the hosts, DCC to take first strike and they duly piled up a mammoth 590 for four declared after just 69.1 overs in front of a large crowd including Cricket West Indies director, Hilbert Foster, former chairman of West Indies selection panel, Roger Harper and GCA president, Neil Barry.
GCC, in reply, held on to see the first day close on 90 for eight from 20.3 overs, still 500 runs behind.
The day belonged to the National opener, Griffith or ‘Bugsy’ as he is known by his teammates as the 30-year-old left-hander registered his first triple century from just 228 balls, decorated with 24 fours and 23 sixes. Griffith was the silent partner in a 124-run opening stand on the small venue with fellow opener, Joshua Persaud racing to 85 from 54 balls, laced with 13 fours and four sixes before he was caught at mid-wicket by Mavendra Dindyal off of off-spinner, Winston Forrester (2-115).
Forrester then removed Sachin Singh who was caught at point for 10 but from then on, GCC were pummeled.
Griffith carried on to bring up his 50 in 57 balls while he and Barnwell saw their side to lunch on 220 for two. Griffith was on 88 and Barnwell was on 29.
Shortly into the after-lunch session, Griffith chalked up his century from 106 balls while Barnwell was given two lives before bringing up his 50 in 60 balls with a six over long off.
Heading into the Tea break, Griffith had already reached 217 while Barnwell was on 141, showing the national selectors what they were missing from the Guyana Harpy Eagles side in the ongoing Regional tournament.
The GCC bowlers could not find a solution for the duo who added 358 for the third wicket.
Barnwell was seeing the ball as big as a football and fresh off his 173 in the semi-final last weekend, hammered 13 fours and 13 sixes before holing out to Stephon Wilson in the deep off of Ronaldo Alimohamed for 175 off of 120 balls.
Going at over seven runs per over, Griffith then pressed the gas, taking it to Rovaldo Philips who was struck for six sixes in a 38-run, seven ball over by Griffith who moved from 236 to 300 within 18 balls before he was caught by Wilson off of Alimohamed (2-141) and ended an 83-run fourth wicket partnership with Raymond Perez who contributed just two and remained not out as DCC declared.
When it was GCC’s time to bat, it seemed as if they were on a different surface as the DCC spinners bamboozled them.
Left-arm spinner, Ashmead Nedd led the bowling attack with four wickets for just six runs while Totaram Bishun returned 2-39. Forrester top scored with a 31-ball 25 but was bowled by Nedd who also removed Phillips for a third-ball duck in the same over.
Dindyal (15) and GCC captain, Devon Lord were also removed consecutively by Bishun as GCC lost four wickets without a run scored while leg-spinner, Steven Sankar removed the dangerous Alimohamed leg before wicket for seven. Thaddeus Lovell is on 10 not out.
