Corentyne Free Weekend makes big splash in Twenty-20 final

The victorious squad from the Ancient County pose with their spoils of the tournament and Digicel representatives. (Orlando Charles photo)

By Marlon Munroe
It is starting to appear as a foregone conclusion that when a Berbice team reaches the final of a tournament it will win.

The victorious squad from the Ancient County pose with their spoils of the tournament and Digicel representatives. (Orlando Charles photo)

Teams from the Ancient County have been virtually unstoppable this year in all competitions and the trend continued on Saturday when the Upper Corentyne Free Weekend defeated the Georgetown Flex Text by three wickets with 2.5 overs remaining in the final of the Digicel Summer Splash Twenty20 tournament at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Earlier, in the third place match New Amsterdam Free Credit defeated  East Coast Demerara Flex Check by 52 runs in a one-sided affair.

In the exhibition game, Tremayne Smartt’s XI comfortably defeated Shemaine Campbell’s XI by 10 wickets.
In the final Georgetown, batting first, were bowled out for a 122 in 19.5 overs with West indies batsman Travis Dowlin being the only buttress in   the team’s quest for a decent total with a half century knock of 53, which included four fours and a six.

Captain Leon Johnson and Steven Jacobs were the only other batsmen to with any scores of substance with 18 and 14 respectively.

UCFW’s skipper Royston Crandon was miserly with returns of 3-16 from four overs while his older brother, medium fast bowler Esaun and leg spinner Devendra Bishoo had similar figures of 2-20 from three and 3.5 overs respectively.

In reply, UCFW looked comfortable from ball one despite losing experienced opener Sewnarine Chattergoon cheaply.

Eventually they reached 123-7 in 17.1 overs with former national under-19 middle order batsman Jonathan Foo taking his side within a run of   victory before he was caught at cover for 38.

West Indies `A’ team batsman Assad Fudadin played a classy innings of 32 while Royston Crandon was his usual destructive self in his innings of 28. Spinner Deon Ferrier and pacer Trevon Garraway headed the wickets column with 2-20 from their three overs.

In the third place match NAFC batted first and compiled 121-2 from their 10 overs with wicketkeeper batsman Anthony Bramble blasting four fours and three sixes in his 58 while opener Keith Fraser was left unbeaten on 48; Bramble and Fraser put on 87 in 7.5 overs for the first wicket.
In reply the ECDFC players were confined to singles and at time successive maidens before they settled at 69-6.Fraser returned with the ball to snare 2-13 from his two overs.

Meanwhile, in the exhibition game Campbell’s XI batting first managed 47-5 in their seven overs while Smartt’s XI responded with 48-0. June Ogle-Thomas and Melanie Henry were the not out batters with 23 and 18 respectively.

In the end UCFW walked away with the Digicel trophy and $400,000 while the runner-up took home $200,000. Third place received $100,000 and fourth place got $50,000.