Demerara were crowned champions of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Dave West Indian Exports Guy-NY Inter-county Under-15 50-over tournament after left arm spinner Daniel Mootoo effected a ‘Mankad’ to capture the last wicket against Berbice Saturday at Bourda.

Defending Champions Berbice needed four to win with one wicket intact, and as Mootoo ran in to bowl he put down the wicket at the non striker’s end without entering his delivery stride only to find Nikeem Noble out of his ground.

Berbice had themselves to blame, after being placed in a comfortable position at 123-5, they lost their remaining wickets for 12 runs in an ordinary batting display by the lower order. Berbice innings was resurrected by Jerron France and Seon Glasgow after they lost Fawaz Gafoor (00) and Marvan Prashad (02) to be at 17-2, both falling to pacer Daniel Paul.

France and Glasgow batted with maturity as they added 41 valuable runs for the third-wicket in hazy conditions. France stood firm, executing a number of handsome shots while Glasgow rotated the strike well. But then left arm spinner Michael Pooran removed Glasgow for 22 and Chanderpaul Govindar (10) to keep his team in the fight. France thumped six fours and appeared set for his half century before he was dismissed off Seepersaud for a fluent 47; Berbice were 33 runs adrift of victory. Gevon Shultz and Nigel Deodat took their team within 16 runs of their target before Pooran uprooted the stumps of Seepersaud for eight; his dismissal triggered a collapse as Shultz fell for 22, Carl Gilgeous (00) and Aaron Beharry (00) before Mootoo awareness handed the home team success.

Pooran grabbed 4-14 while Andre Seepersaud claimed 3-10 and Paul 2-24; Berbice ended on 135 in 42.3 overs.

Earlier, a tidy spell by left-arm spinner Noble help bowl out Demerara for 138 in 43.3 overs. Openers Sachin Singh and Shoaib Shaw added 48 for the first wicket after the home team decided to bat before Shaw fell to Beharry (1-35) for 20. Skipper Singh and Yeudistir Persaud took Demerara to 81 with sensible batting. Singh, the most dominant batsman in the tournament who scored a match-winning century against the said opponents in the preliminary round, timed the ball well before he was removed by medium-pacer Leon Swammy for 42 which came off 78 balls. His dismissal trigged a collapse as Noble bamboozled the batsmen to finish with 5-19, including a hat-trick. Only Persaud who played with a straight bat in scoring 29 and Daniel Persaud with 12 showed fight; no other batsmen managed double figures. Swammy had 2-15.

Noble was given the Man-of-the-Match award, Sachin Singh (192 runs) won the best batsman prize and Essequibo skipper Amos Sarwan with 10 wickets took the best bowled accolade.

(Taken from Kaieteur News)