Traditional rivals on the cricket pitch, Berbice and Demerara, will look to write a new chapter in their storied rivalry when they clash in the final of the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) U-19 Inter-County Super50 competition.
Demerara have gone unbeaten in their three games thus far, beating Berbice in their third-round encounter as well. Their skipper, Mavindra Dindyal, a national player and West Indies U-19 batsman, also got a century in that victory over Berbice.
Ahead of today’s final, Stabroek Sports reached out to Dindyal to get a feel for what the mood is like in the Demerara camp.
According to Dindyal, their mood is one brimming with confidence. “The team is feeling very confident after winning three out of three games; we are just looking to go out and put in another good performance and try to bring home the trophy.”
Quizzed on whether his century in the last game has given him an individual boost, Dindyal responded in the affirmative but cautioned about overconfidence.
He expounded, “It gives me a bit more confidence, but cricket is played on the day; I’ll go out there and try to execute my game plan once more. As I said before, we will try to bring home the trophy for Demerara, and hopefully the boys stick around and we can be great together as a group.”
Having played in the ICC U-19 World Cup earlier this year in South Africa, Dindyal noted that his time there has helped his game as a captain and an individual.
“Playing at the World Cup and the international level, the experience helps you a lot. The game is played at a higher pace, so you have to adapt. It helps you to be more proactive as a captain; you need to find solutions to situations faster. It definitely helps with your leadership skills and your personal skills as a player.”
The final bowls off at 9:30 a.m. today, and we will see Demerara once again face the defending champions, Berbice, at the Malteenoes Sports Club ground on Thomas Lands. Dindyal will be one of the key players for his Demerara side, along with Alvin Mohabir and Riyad Latif, as they seek to dethrone the Berbicians.
The competition is being played so that the U-19 selectors can get an opportunity to select the national team based on performances to compete in the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 competition slated for July later this year in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
