By Neil Barry
It is not often that the winning club is decided before the final of a competition.
Today Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) supporters can choose which one of their teams to support when the `A’ team clashes with the `B’ side in the grand finale of the David Persaud Investments Cup Under-19 one day competition at the Everest Cricket Club ground.
The venue for today’s final, a ground which hosts first class cricket, was chosen by the sponsors since the late David Persaud, in whose memory the tournament is being played, was a former Everest club captain.
In the semi finals, DCC `A’ team held on for a tense victory against Malteenoes while the `B’ side recovered from a batting collapse to overcome GCC, ensuring an all DCC final. Gavin Nedd’s sides showed good composure as they fought for contrasting wins against sides playing at home.
DCC `A’ may be named one letter ahead, but in the final both teams can be said to be on level ground. Guyana Under 19 pacer, Dexter George, returns to boost DCC `A’ and should be in good form with the bat as well after striking an unbeaten 63 yesterday.
The fickleness of a final adds to what is already a match to savour for DCC supporters as both teams have consistently strung together team performances rather than having single players produce major standout performances.
This final mirrors the 2011 Brainstreet Under 15 final in which DCC `A’ met with their `B’ side. However, at this level, both teams have shown more similarities than their under 15 counterparts. DCC A’s batting has left much room for improvement but has proven superior enough to land them a spot in the final. The batting woes of both teams can be seen clearly when it is noted that neither team has any player who has scored a century.
Of the two teams, DCC `B’s Kemol Savory has scored the most runs by some distance while Clean McEwen has the most runs for DCC ‘A’.
Savory has scored 170 runs with a highest score of 74, while McEwan has 125 with a highest score of 68. DCC `A’ can be said to be the more consistent of the two sides in terms of batting, as three of their batsmen have scored more than 100 runs while, apart from Savory, no other DCC `B’ batsman has reached 100 runs in the tournament.
The frailties of each team when batting suggests that this final will be decided by the side whose bowlers are on top of their game. DCC `A’s Orlando Sturge has been a revelation for them this year with his off spin capturing 14 wickets thus far in the tournament at an excellent economy rate of just 2.20 while seamer Michael Shalim has also been useful with a five- wicket haul against Queen’s College. Seamer Cavell Reece took a five-wicket haul for DCC `B’ in the league phase of the competition and he can be expected to share the seam bowling duties with the under 15 pair of Carlton Jacques and Deron Crandon.
Captains Omesh Dhanram and Kemol Savory are expected to spin the toss at 9a.m. and the game will be under the watchful eyes of umpires Shannon Crawford and Nigel Hawk. The Everest wicket can be expected to be a good one for batting once the batsmen show the necessary application as the wicket is usually on the slower side with some turn on offer for the spinners. Regardless of the result however, the David Persaud Investments Trophy will be travelling to Queenstown at the end of the game.
