Powered by half centuries from openers Raymond Perez and Shemroy Barrington, the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Panthers mauled the Upper Demerara Cricket Association (UDCA) Scorpions to win by 39 runs yesterday at the Lusignan Cricket Ground when the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) T20 Blast resumed.
After being sent in to bat by the Scorpions, Perez and Barrington were brutal in their assault as they combined to raise 110 for the first wicket. Barrington was especially severe on the Scorpions, as he had a strike rate of 182.6 and smashed five boundaries and three maximums.
However, Perez, who took much of the strike, made an attractive-looking 63 (47 deliveries) laced with eight fours and a six before he became the first casualty, falling after being caught by Nichosie Barker off the bowling of Shaquille Williams.
That sparked a collapse as Barrington fell 12 runs later to leave the Panthers at 122/2 in the 13th over. No one else stepped up to the plate save Christopher Barnwell, who made a quick-fire 21 (10 deliveries) as the GCA lost their last 8 wickets for just 46 runs to be bowled out for 168 in 19 overs.
Ariel Tilku was the architect of that collapse, claiming 4/10 (2 overs) with help from Barker, who took 3/20 (3 overs), while Williams, Gariel McDonald, and Tyreke Etienne snared a wicket apiece.
In response, the Scorpions could not get their chase off the ground, with only opener Joshua Wade making a decent fight of an inning with 42 (22 balls), inclusive of two fours and five sixes. The Scorpions, after losing Wade’s opening partner Ray Peters with the score on four, lost steady wickets and were eventually bowled out for 129 in 19.1 overs to hand the Panthers their second win of the competition in as many games.
Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed (3/33) and Devon Lord (3/21) led the attack with the ball for the Panthers, as both claimed three wickets each. Meanwhile, at the same venue later in the day, the East Coast Canje Pheasants suffered a four-wicket defeat at the hands of the West Coast Jaguars.
The Pheasants won the toss and elected to bat, but could not find fluidity in their innings, only mustering 139/8 from their allotted 20 overs. Their batting effort was led by opener Nicholas Shiopersaud, who made a laboured 36 from 43 deliveries, while his partner and skipper Rajendra Chandrika made 21 from 15 deliveries to have the next best score.
Incredibly, Akshaya Persaud, Nityand Mathura, Nkosi Major, and Aryan Persaud each took two wickets for the Jaguars. In reply, the Jaguars chased down the target with four wickets to spare in 19.3 overs. Middle-order batsman Sheldon Alexander top scored with an unbeaten 40 (43 deliveries), while Narendra Persaud (27), Akshaya Persaud (22) and Rochie Looknauth (27) all chipped in with cameos. Nigel Deodat returned figures of 3/22 (4 overs) for the losers. The tournament continues next weekend with fixtures set for GCC Ground, Bourda.
