The Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) defeated the Guyana Police Force (GPF) by an innings and 20 runs, thanks to Ezekiel Wilson’s six-wicket haul and big half-centuries from Brandon Jaikarran and Jonathan Van Lange.
Playing at their home ground, DCC won the toss on Saturday and sent in Police to bat. Things looked solid as openers; Troy Leitch (16) and Troy Benn (19) stitched together a 40-run opening partnership, but the former’s dismissal sparked a collapse of epic proportions as the next nine wickets fell for the addition of just 49 runs. Benn followed Leitch back to the pavilion with the score at 51, and from there it went all downhill. While Dexter George accounted for the openers, Wilson ran through the middle order to end with first-inning figures of 6-22 (8 overs), while George finished with 3-14 (3 overs), and Jaden Dowlin had 1-7 (4 overs).
After Benn and Leitch, no other batsman reached double-digit scores, with the exception of number 11, John Cameron (14 not out). Police were all out for 89 in just 27 overs.
In reply, DCC, through the bats of Jaikarran, Van Lange, and Inderjit Nannan, plastered the police bowlers to all parts of the ground before declaring on 246/3 looking to press for victory by re-inserting the police bat.
After losing opener Kishawn Silas (7) to Benn with the score on 34, Jaikarran and Van Lange combined for a 139-run partnership before Jaikarran fell for a well-played 87. His knock included 13 fours and a six and spanned 98 deliveries.
Van Lange was joined by Nannan, and they put together a whirlwind 73-run partnership. Nannan slammed an unbeaten 34-ball 53, which saw him strike nine fours and a six, while Van Lange got 89 (84 balls, 4sx7, 6sx4) before he fell, which prompted the DCC skipper to declare with a lead of 157.
In their second attempt, Police again got to a 40-run opening partnership, but much like in the first inning, they could not kick on. With stumps called on Saturday and the Police team on 40/0, Sunday brought about a reinvigorated DCC bowling attack.
Leon Crawford could not make an addition to his overnight 24 and was trapped LBW by Wilson to make it 40/1. Damunda Ngyondo then became Wilson’s second victim, caught for a duck. By the time Ameer Mohamed fell for 37, caught behind off the bowling of Carlton Jaques, the Police innings had entered the end-game. Between Jaques and Jaden Dowlin, they accounted for the remaining wickets as the Police plummeted to 137 all-outs, still 20 runs short of DCC’s first-inning total, which resulted in their margin of defeat.
