The third round of matches in the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB)/SVC/Precision Services Inc. Inter-Association T20 Tournament saw big wins for the East Bank Cricket Association (EBCA) Eagles and the East Coast Cricket Association (ECCA) Canje Pheasants over at the Meten-Meer-Zorg ground on the West Coast of Demerara.
In game one, the Eagles faced the Upper Demerara Cricket Association (UDCA) Scorpions and soared to a 130-run victory thanks to an imposing total of 208/8 (20 overs) after they were sent in to bat.
Once again, skipper Rajendra Chandrika led the way for his troops with the bat and earned the man-of-the-match award for his belligerent 46 (23 balls, 4sx2, 6sx5) at the top of the inning. He shared an opening stand of 67 with Nicholas Shiopersaud (13) to set the foundation for the eventual total.
There were useful contributions from middle-order batsmen Dominic Glasgow (23) and Robin Williams (39), but the real drive came from the unlikely duo of number nine and 10 batsmen Karamchan Persaud and Anthony McFarlane.
Persaud and McFarlane combined forces from the 17th over when their side were wobbling at 149/8 to put together 51 from the remaining 3.1 overs. Persaud was especially harsh on the Scorpions death bowlers, clobbering 35 not out from just 12 deliveries laced with five maximums, while McFarlane showed his worth with 24 not out from just 8 deliveries, inclusive of two fours and a solitary six.
Bowling for the Scorpions, Joshua Wade tallied 3/34 (4 overs), Nichosie Barker recorded 2/34 (4 overs), and Shaquille Williams was expensive for his 2/45 from four overs.
With a big ask of 209 for victory, as has been the trend with the Scorpions, they never got their run-chase going and collapsed in a heap to end their innings at 78/8 (13.2 overs) with their two remaining batsmen unable to take the field.
Only openers Romeo Deonarine (26 from 20 balls), Shaquille Williams (18), and Gariel McDonald (18) would reach double figures for the Scorpions.
Nizam Khan had miserly figures of 3/9 (3 overs) and was well supported by Chetram Balgobin (2/24 from 4 overs) along with Sachin Singh, who snared 1/12 from his two overs.
In the second match at the same venue, the home side’s West Coast Demerara Cricket Association (WCDCA) Jaguars were tamed by the Eagles, who chased down 151 in just 16.2 overs to record a five-wicket victory.
The Jaguars won the toss and elected to bat, posting 151/8 from their allotted 20 overs. While a few batsmen got starts, no one registered an innings of substance, and regular wickets meant that their total would never be enough on a pitch tailored for batting.
Opener Ushardeva Balgobin top scored for the Jaguars with 30 from 15 deliveries punctuated by five fours and a six. Skipper Akshaya Persaud scored a laboured 21 from 23 deliveries, while Sheldon Alexander (22) and Mahendra Dhanpaul (28 not out) all got starts.
In response, the Eagles hurried to victory, powered by opener Ricky Sargeant’s brutal man-of-the-match knock of 75, which he amassed from a mere 30 deliveries. Sargeant’s innings saw him send the ball for eight maximums and five boundaries as he set his side up for a quick victory.
There were valuable contributions in the middle order from Shamar Yearwood (17), Anand Barrat (12), and Anthon Lim (18, not out of five deliveries), who clobbered a six to close proceedings as his side ended on 156/5.
The fourth round of matches in the round-robin stage will be played today at the GCC Ground in Bourda, with the UDCA Scorpions facing the EBCA Tigers in the early game at 9:00am, while the GCA Panthers, who will be on home turf, will come up against the ECCB Canje Pheasants at 1:00pm. For this round of matches, the WDCA Jaguars have drawn a bye. The top four teams from the round-robin stage will move on to the semi-finals, which are slated for GCC with a tentative date of January 14.
The third-place playoff and the final are also scheduled to be played at GCC on January 20 and 21, respectively.
