East Coast first division team has reached the final in the Demerara zone of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/ Pepsi/ Carib Beer sponsored Twenty20 cricket competition for first division clubs where they will meet Malteenoes Sports Club, when they scored an exciting one run victory over New Line Aqua Farm Canal #2 Cricket Club on Wednesday.
After winning the toss and opting to take first strike in the match played at the Canal #2 ground, East Coast reached 159-5 at the end of their 20 overs with Suresh Boodhoo 77 (10x4s; 3x6s) and national player Zaheer Mohammed 56 (4x6s;4x4s) being the principal scorers. Clayton Giddins took 2-28 from his four overs bowling for Canal #2. In reply, the host was bowled out for 158 off the final delivery of their 20th over. Some resilient batting from Neil Thomas (37*, 3x4s; 2x6s) helped take Canal #2 from the precarious position of 86-6 in the 14th over to 119-9 in the 18th over.
At the start of the 19th over, they needed a mammoth 41 runs for victory and fell short by one run when Mahendra Jailall (15) lost his wicket off the final delivery of the 20th over. Budhan Baksh had earlier made 47 (4x4s; 3x6s) for Canal. Gidesh Lall (3-14) and Sultan Sankar (2-13) were the principal wicket takers for East Coast.
East Coast and Malteenoes will clash today at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground from 1400hrs.
