National opening batsman Royston Crandon warmed up for the upcoming KFC regional limited overs tournament by hitting the first hundred of the Berbice Cricket Board TELENEC sponsored 50 overs first-division knock-out cricket competition.
Playing against the Berbice Youth Squad in a zone B encounter on Sunday at the Port Mourant Community Centre ground, Crandon slammed 132 not out which was decorated with nine fours and four sixes as his team Rose Hall Town Windies Sports Bar amassed 316-6 from their 46 overs after the game was reduced because of overnight and early morning rain.
Crandon and Jason Sinclair posted 108 for the third wicket with Sinclair making 57(1×4 and 1×6) while Renwick Batson made 59.
Naresh Mahadeo took 3-40 bowling for Berbice Youth who were then bowled out for 115 in 35.3 overs after being comfortably placed on 74-1 in 21 overs. Openers Eon Hooper and Asif Khan, who made 20 and 27 posted the first wicket partnership but the remaining batsmen were able to withstand the spin duo of 12-year-old Loyydel Lewis and 13-year-old Shawn Perreira, who took 6-18 and 4-22 respectively to seal victory for their team by a whopping 201 runs.
In another zone B match, Blairmont Community Centre defeated Young Warriors by three wickets in a game that was also reduced to 40 overs a side owing to overnight rain.
Being asked to bat first after the home team won the toss, Young Warriors were dismissed for 116 off 33.3 overs with Rudolph Baker being the top scorer with 62 that was decorated with seven sixes and one four, whilst Mohammed Imam and ex national Under-19 fast bowler Brandon Bess took three wickets each for 8 and 23 respectively bowling for Blairmont who in reply made 117-7 off 34.3 overs.
Heeralall Bridgelall 38 and Karamdat Bissoondial 26 were the leading scorers for the victors against the bowling of former national under-19 batsman cum off spinner Gajanand Singh who was the leading wicket taker with 3-18 from eight overs.
In zone A, Rose Hall Community Centre (RHCC) defeated West Berbice by 82 runs also on Sunday. Playing at the Rose Hall Canje ground, RHCC won the toss and chose to bat first before they were bowled out for 168 in 45.3 overs with Sasenarine Sukhdeo 50 (4×4) and Balram Samaroo 47 (2×6) being the principal scorers against the bowling of ex-Berbice Under-19 right arm leg spinner and nephew of former West Indies great Joe Solomon, Anil Solomon who took 6-33 from 9.3 overs.
West Berbice in reply folded for 86 with only Kenje Sedoc getting into double figures with 17. Sanjay Khan and Samaroo took three wickets each for 21 and 10 respectively from ten overs whilst Romesh Munna took 2-3 from 1.1 overs.
