By Calvin Roberts
The semi-finals of the Berbice Cricket Board of Control (BCBC)/TELENEC-sponsored 50-overs-a-side cricket competition will take place today with Zone `A’ winners Rose Hall Community Centre (RHCC) opposing Zone `B’ runners-up Albion Community Centre while Zone `B’ winners Scottsburg United will oppose Zone `A’ runners-up Young Warriors at Scottsburg.
The RHCC/Albion clash should be an exciting one as Albion will be looking to exact revenge following their defeat in the Isaac Bissoon three-day semi-final recently.
This time though, Albion will have in their lineup Berbice’s 13th Test player, West Indies opener Sewnarine Chattergoon.
The left-hander has recuperated from the injury he suffered whilst in the training camp which preceded the present Digicel home series between the West Indies and world champions Australia.
Chattergoon, his younger brother and national under-15 player Harrinarine Chattergoon, along with former Guyana/Stanford Twenty20 star Imran Khan, will spearhead the team’s batting along with Berbice under-19 batsman Manoj Pooranauth.
The team will be without Jonathan Foo and Sahadeo Somai due to their encampment with the national under-19, 20-member squad but will have the services of right-arm, leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo and West Indies under-19 left- arm orthodox spinner Verasammy Permaul.
Add the hard-hitting wicket-keeper/batsman Shastri Persaud and the ever reliable Ranga Lachigadu to the fray and RHCC would find it difficult to repeat the feat against Albion.
RHCC would be hoping that their prolific all-rounder Rafik Kassim, who wrecked the Albion batting with his seven-wicket match haul in that game repeats or betters that performance.
He will be supported by former Berbice under-19 batsman Darren Narine, Sasenarine Sukhdeo, Romesh Poona and Vishal Mohabir.
The men in charge of this game are Joseph Simon and Roshan Moakan.
At Scottsburg, the home team would be looking to continue their fine run in this competition and will look to Essequibo’s left-arm orthodox spinner Robert Moore and the underrated off-spinner Imran Jafferally to dismiss the opposition cheaply.
The two will be supported by Peter Grimes and Michael Kendall, who have both been in prolific form with the bat of late.
Young Warriors will be missing the services of the veteran off-spinner Hubern Evans, former national captain and all-rounder Damodar Dasrath and national under-19 all rounder Seon Hetymyer.
They will, however, have the services of national middle-order and former West Indies under-19 batsman Gajanand Singh, with support from Berbice under-19 player Farouk Hussain, Anil Beharry, Ishwar Singh, Paul Wintz and fast bowler Kwesi Maltay.
Umpires for this encounter are Dhierendrenauth Somwaru and Rafeek Lattiff.
Play in both semi-finals will commence at 0930hrs.
