By Charwayne Walker
When Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) right-hander Tevin Imlach reached his maiden regional first-class century against Jamaica at the Providence Stadium last Friday, he was continuing a great club tradition which started when the late Maurice Pacheo Fernandes scored the first century by a DCC batsman for Guyana at the regional level.
Fernandes scored 124 against Trinidad at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda, in 1925. He followed up that century with another ton, 141, some four years later in 1929 against Barbados again, at GCC Bourda.
Ulric Mc Kenzie, deceased, was the next DCC player to score a century at the regional level with a classy 115 not out against Trinidad at the Queen’s Park Oval in 1944.
He scored another century in October 1944 against Trinidad 127, this time the venue was GCC.
The late Clifford Mc Watt added his name to the DCC list of regional century makers with 123 not out against Trinidad at the Queen’s Park Oval in 1947.
Mc Watt continued the DCC tradition with a stroke-filled 128 again against Trinidad at GCC in October 1953.
The next DCC disciple to score a regional first-class century was the late Colin Wiltshire (deceased) who put the Combined Islands to the sword with a murderous 197 at GCC in October 1961.
Sir Clive Lloyd joined the DCC list of regional century makers with a courageous 107 against Barbados at the Kensington Oval.
He followed that Innings up with 194 against Jamaica at Sabina Park and ended his regional first-class career with (10) centuries.
The late Roy Fredericks joined the DCC regional century makers honors board with 127 & 115 against Barbados at GCC in 1967. Fredericks, like Lloyd, finished his regional first-class career with (10) centuries. The late Andrew `Monster’ Lyght kept up the Queenstown club’s tradition with 102 against Barbados at GCC in 1982.
He followed up that century with an even hundred against the Leeward Islands at Grove Park, Nevis, 1983.
He also scored 112 against Barbados at the Kensington Oval in 1983 and 122 against Jamaica at Sabina Park in 1984.
William White, a cousin of Lyght, scored 105 at the same venue in 1984 and Mark Harper added his name to the DCC regional centurion honors board with an unforgettable 149 not out against a Barbados attack boasting the likes of Malcolm Marshall and Joel `Big Bird’ Garner at Hampton Court Essequibo in 1986. He followed up that unbeaten century with a flamboyant 106 against the Leeward Islands attack spearheaded by Sir Curtly Ambrose and Winston Benjamin at GCC in 1986. The name Roger Harper (brother of Mark) was added to that distinguished regional list at Queenstown in 1987 when he scored a commanding 109 against Trinidad & Tobago at the Queen’s Park Oval. He hit another century (128) in the Shell Shield final against the Leeward Islands at GCC in 1995.
Roger Harper also scored 202 not out against the Windward Islands at Bourda, 124 against Jamaica at Sabina Park in 1996. Keith Semple was the next DCC disciple to join the list with a flambouyant 142 against Jamaica at Sabina Park in 1994 while Travis Dowlin joined the illustrious list in 2000 with 102 against Jamaica at Sabina Park, 115 against the West Indies (B) at Queen’s Park Oval in 2001, 123 not out against the Leeward Islands at the Carib Lumber Ball Park, Phillipsburg, St Maarten in 2006 and 176 not out against the Windward Islands at Providence in 2008.
Derwin Christian 109 against Jamaica at Providence 2009, Keemo Paul 107 against the Windward Islands at Providence Stadium 2017, Christopher Barnwell 148 against the Windward Islands at Windsor Park in 2014 and 107 against the Windward Islands in Grenada 2019 are all among the DCC elites to have scored regional first class tons. The last two to join the list scored their centuries this year.
Kemol Savory who started his cricket at DCC scored 101 not out against Trinidad & Tobago at the Brian Lara Academy earlier this month while Imlach blasted 136 not out against Jamaica at Providence.
