Berbice retain Inter-County title

Berbice comfortably retained their El Dorado 50-over Inter-County title at the Guyana National Stadium last night although Demerara played some good cricket in the preliminary rounds before stumbling at the final hurdle.

Repeat Champions! The victorious Berbice team poses with DDL representatives after retaining their El Dorado Inter-county title last evening at the Guyana National Stadium. (Orlando Charles photo)

An unblemished 98-run sixth wicket partnership between middle order batsmen Anthony Bramble and Jonathan Foo in the end came to overshadow a brilliant century by Demerara’s Christopher Barnwell. Demerara’s total of 231 all out (44.4 overs) proved not enough as Berbice coasted to 232-5 in 46.1 overs despite a tentative start and loss of wickets at crucial periods of their run chase.

Bramble was left undefeated on 50, a signal to selectors of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) that their choice had merit. Bramble got the selectors’ nod over first strength keeper Derwin Christian for the upcoming regional one-day tournament that starts in Jamaica on October 14.

Foo also applied himself to the longer version of the game and was left unbeaten on 46. Despite the best efforts of leg spinner Amir Khan and medium pacer Kellon Carmichael, who took 2-37 and 2-31 respectively, when the two young batsmen got settled they shifted the game right back into Berbice’s favour.

Man-of-the-Match Royston Crandon led with the ball when Demerara batted and caused the abrupt decline of the Demerarians despite Barnwell’s classy 127. Crandon snared 5-33 (8) and was assisted by Devendra Bishoo who gathered 3-24 from 8.4 overs.

Demerara’s only other meaningful contributions came from Vishal Singh (31) and captain Leon Johnson (20).

The Berbicians had a temporary flurry at the start of the innings but they lost the wickets of Sewnarine Chattergoon and Narsingh Deonarine when the scores were 19 and 30 respectively. Carmichael picked up both wickets then left-arm pacer Andre Stoll made another vital breakthrough when he had Richard Ramdeen caught by Barnwell for 31 when the score was 44.

Assad Fudadin and Crandon got to work after their team were 44-3 and went about the rebuilding. They were vigilant yet they put away the bad balls. Crandon was the more aggressive of the two batsmen while Fudadin was content with playing second fiddle.

The Demerara captain employed several strategies to break the partnership: spin/pace and spin/spin attacks but the batsmen remained vigilant. Retaining their title was the goal. The two pushed the team’s total to 97 before leg spinner Khan dismissed Crandon, who flicked and got a leading edge that went straight to the hands of Steven Jacobs at cover.

Fudadin and Foo continued after the 53-run fourth stance until Fudadin lost his wicket after being caught and bowled by Khan for 32 when the score was 134. Subsequently, the show belonged to Foo and Bramble, who will be making their debut for Guyana in the upcoming regional tournament.

With every run the batsmen grew in confidence and the Demerara players sensed that their hope of regaining the title had been lost, something which was evident in their slumped shoulders in the field. Eventually it was Foo who hit the winning run for the Berbicians, who had lost to the Demerarians in their second round match.

A drive through wide long by Barnwell off pacer Keon Joseph emphasized his rich vein of form. That shot brought up his first half century of the tournament and he looked set to punish all the bowlers that came his way. His running between the wicket with Joseph had the hallmark of a profitable partnership.

Johnson himself showed glimpses that he was returning to form. But then, unluckily, off a short ball from spinner Bishoo, Johnson was caught on the midwicket boundary for 20. Barnwell, however, who is usually an attacking batsman, continued to bat with a level head.

There was maturity in his batting, a sign that he finally understands his role as one of the more talented batsmen in the team. His batting showed purpose and he reminded the spectators of his power when he swept Krishendat Ramoo for six over wide long on after he had pulled the same bowler for four through the same region.

The Berbice bowlers, at this time, seemed to have lacked penetration on the slow wicket. Then Steven Jacobs holed out to long on and was caught by Richard Ramdeen for 14 when the score was 140. Another partnership that looked promising was broken and things went into a further downward spiral.

With wickets falling at regular intervals Barnwell maintained his composure. He brought up his century in style; he lifted Deonarine over long on for six. The century came up in 104 balls, which included eight fours and three sixes.

Barnwell, after passing three figures, went into overdrive; he lifted Deonarine for two sixes and a four in the 33rd over. But with the reintroduction of Bishoo Barnwell was bowled and then in the next over Jamal Hinckson pulled a longhop from Royston Crandon and was caught at midwicket by Fudadin.

Christian followed shortly after when he was caught on the long off boundary by Chattergoon off the bowling of Crandon. The Berbicians started to re-assert themselves in the field after the Barnwell onslaught.

Runs suddenly started to come at a trickle as Singh and Zaheer Mohammed went about rehabilitating their team’s innings. But both batsmen fell in quick succession; Crandon was ripping through the Demerara bottom order: Mohammed caught by Ramoo, Singh caught at midwicket by Fudadin and Kellon Carmichael caught behind in the same over.

Bishoo returned to bowl Andre Stoll as the Demerarians stumbled from 189-5 to 231 all out in 44.4 overs. Crandon picked up five wickets for 33 runs from his eight overs of offspin while Bishoo took 3-24; Joseph and Deonarine had one wicket apiece.