By Neil Barry
Demerara Cricket Club `A’ earned their third straight Georgetown Under-15 title when they completely outclassed Transport Sports Club by 155 runs at the Gandhi Youth Organization ground.
Transport were outplayed right from the start with Tevin Imlach and Kemo Paul standing out despite a compelling team performance from DCC.
Coach Garvin Nedd and his team put on as thoroughly a ‘professional’ show as an Under-15 team can possibly muster from start to finish and this was further exemplified when Nedd led his side through warm down paces after the game instead of entertaining the usual pandemonium that has become the norm after winning a championship.
On a day blessed with bright sunshine, umpires Delvin Austin and Cyril Garnath called play at 9.30 a.m. to mark the start of the eagerly anticipated Georgetown Cricket Association-run Brainstreet-sponsored Under 15 final.
With the small ground freshly cut, DCC’s `A’ team captain Imlach won the toss, elected to bat, and went about building an imposing total with his opening partner Nomechandra Persaud.
Imlach opened his account with a four but settled down to play a long innings as he progressed to 73 from 152 deliveries, stroking four more fours in the process, along with five sixes.
DCC `A’ was off to a solid 65-run start before Persaud was caught off the bowling of Avinash Persaud for 23 in the 17th over. Although all-rounder Kemo Paul was dismissed shortly afterwards without scoring, DCC `A’ had laid the platform for a commanding total and when the consistent Clitus Johnson departed for a well-played innings of 62, Keanu Harry played an aggressive innings of 36 from 22 balls to set Transport a target of exactly 250 to win the trophy as DCC `A’ ended on 5 for 249 from 50 overs.
Captain Imlach and Johnson had put on 86 runs from in 92 balls to keep the scorecard ticking over during the middle overs while keeping wickets in hand for the final assault.
Johnson faced 57 balls and struck four fours and three sixes.
Transport did themselves no favours in the field by contributing 31 extras, including 27 in wides. Spinner Travis Marcellino was the only relatively economical bowler for Transport with figures of 10-0-35-1.
Transport would have placed much faith in their captain and in form opening batsman Joshua Ram but final game heroics from their skipper was not to be as his edge was well taken at first slip by Imlach in Paul’s first over as Ram departed for a duck. Kevin Marks and Reon Sumair set about repairing the early damage, but Marks perished to a catch on the boundary on the stroke of lunch when late on a pull to give Paul his second wicket and leave Transport 2 for 35 after 6.2 overs.
DCC `A’ resumed after the break scenting victory and continued to be excellent in the field as they pounced on every chance offered to them, a tribute to their hard working coach Nedd, who has coached DCC to youth finals at the under 13, 15, and 19 levels.
After a few quiet overs, Paul cartwheeled the off-stump of Sumair to place Transport in further trouble. Ewart Samuels showed aggressive intent by cutting his first ball to the boundary but was soon another victim of Paul as he topedged a pull in the same over while Deron Crandon picked up a wicket with his first delivery as Shazim Khan hit to Paul at long on.
DCC’s unprecedented success at the youth level did not go unnoticed by a former member of the club and legendary West Indies Captain Clive Lloyd, who was also celebrating his 68th birthday. His arrival coincided with the fall of the sixth wicket for Transport with Crandon picking up another wicket with the score on 62. An excellent return catch from Travis Persaud summed up DCC’s effort in the field: efficient. With the fall of the seventh wicket for 72, a DCC `A’ three-peat of the title was a mere formality. Paul completed a five-wicket haul by bowling Colin Barlow for four before sealing the deal for DCC `A’ with his sixth wicket as Transport ended on 94 all out in 26.5 overs. Paul ended with excellent figures of 7.5-0-29-6 in a Man-of-the-Match bowling effort and Crandon provided useful support with figures of 5-1-12-3 while Persaud captured one wicket for six runs from four overs of off spin.
At the presentation ceremony Sherfayne Rutherford of Everest received the MVP of the tournament award while Dwayne Debarros received an award for the highest score.
Bhaskar Yadram was rewarded for the most runs and Shameer Khan for having the most wickets in the league phase. The Georgetown Cricket Association and Brainstreet stressed the importance they place on the nexus between sport and education as they closed this year’s proceedings with the presentation of medals and trophies and DCC basking in more hard earned success.
