By Neil Barry
Transport Sports Club’s (TSC) captain Joshua Ram fell nine runs short of what would have been a well-deserved century as his side defeated Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) by 101 runs yesterday to reach the Georgetown Cricket Association’s (GCA) Brainstreet Under-15 final.
Ram struck four fours and six sixes from 138 deliveries A TSC, batting first, reached 251-9 off their allotted overs.
TSC innings involved regular partnerships with Joshua Wilson scoring 44, Reon Sumair, 42 and Ewart Samuels, 25, helping their team past the 250 mark aided by GYO who did themselves no favours by gifting 30 extras.
Transport duly sealed their spot in the final when they restricted GYO to 9 for 150 in 50 overs.
Opener and centurion in the league phase of the competition, Dwayne Debarros provided GYO with a solid start but his 39 was to be the top score as GYO collapsed from 88-3 when Debarros fell, to 104 -9 in a mere 10 overs.
The last wicket pair of Mark Hamilton (18 not out) and Christopher Campbell (10 not out) stalled Transport’s bid with stoic defence and some amount of luck to ensure GYO batted out their allotted 50 overs to secure at least the draw but not denying TSC, their place in tomorrow’s final.
In all, the last wicket pair added 46 runs while GYO’s cause was aided by an untidy 56 runs in extras by the TSC side.
Left-arm spinner Sumair was the pick of the TSC’s bowlers with 3 for 23 while Travis Marcellino took 2 for 28.
At Queenstown, home team Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) `A’ produced a clinical performance to win by the whopping margin of 233 runs.
Batting first, DCC `A’ saw their batsmen putting together useful partnerships in scoring 271-9 from 50 overs.
National player Kemo Paul scored 60 from 61 deliveries, laced with five fours and a six but the top score came from Clitus Johnson, who scored a well constructed innings of 71 that included three sixes and a solitary four.
Johnson had scored 70 in last year’s final.
Seamer Carlton Jacques supported down the order with 22 to push the score past 250.
Queen’s College, who usually depended on the spin bowling pair of Jayadev Mana and Shameer Khan found the duo ineffective in this game as they each went for nearly five runs an over for the three wickets they shared.
Queen’s College will rue dropping Johnson twice on his way to a match sealing score.
When QC batted, the innings did not receive any early impetus as the DCC bowlers struck early and continued to make regular breakthroughs.
Queen’s College were stifled for runs by accurate bowling early on from seamers Deron Crandon and Carlton Jacques. The opening partnership produced 22 runs in just over five overs and turned out to be the most productive stand before Jacques removed both openers.
Queen’s College’s struggle was epitomized by their score at the drinks break: 37 for 8 in 15 overs. Upon resumption, there was to be no fight back as Queen’s College fell for 38 all out in the 19th over with only one batsman crossing the double figure barrier.
Jacques, who also effected a run out, finished with figures of 3 for 13 from five overs while spinner Travis Persaud had three wickets for four runs from 3.3 overs.
Crandon finished with 2 for 18.
The final will be played at GYO ground tomorrow commencing at 9.30am.
DCC `A’ are the defending champions.
