DCC hammer MSC despite 50s from Holder & Barry

Oct 04, 2009 Sports

In sweltering heat and watched by a small but vocal crowd, Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) defeated host Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) by 5 wickets yesterday to advance to the final of the Georgetown zone of the Demerara Cricket Board’s Hand-in-Hand 50-overs 2nd division knock-out cricket competition.
The over-40 pair of former Guyana wicketkeeper Batsman Neil Barry and ex-Guyana under-19 wicketkeeper batsman Shawn Holder hit half-centuries in a disappointing batting performance for MSC who were bowled out for 187 in 47.1 overs as National under-19 left-arm back-of-the-arm spinner Totaram Bishun took 3-36.
West Indies under-19 selectee Trevon Griffith (40) and fellow left-hander Jasper Gangaram (27) added 79 for the first wicket to set DCC on track for their eventual total of 189-5 in 29.3 overs.
Griffith, who is playing for the Rest Team in the GCB senior 4-day competition, looked set for a fifty before he threw his wicket away when he was caught at short extra cover as off-spinner Sean Devers, who like Holder and Barry, can play in the next over-40 competition, made the break-through in his first over.
Former National youth batsman Alfred Mentore (8) was then stumped off 19-year-old left-arm spinner Denis Legay at 90-2 while Gangaram was removed by Devers at 105-3.
Devon Gonsalves (17) edged Legay to slip at 124-4 and Skipper Lyndon Lyght (15) was run out at 158-5, as MSC, not helped by a shabby day in the field tried desperately stay in the contest.
Denis Squires, dropped off Devers as Carlos LaRose at deep square-leg deflected the ball for six early in his innings, batted confidently to remain unbeaten on 21 while wicketkeeper Denver Greaves played intelligent cricket to finish unbeaten on 32.
Devers had 2-30 and Legay 2-44 while off-spinner Daniel Gravesande conceded just 35 runs from his 10 overs in a tidy spell for MSC.
Earlier, MSC lost Skipper Delvon McEwan, who seemed unfortunate to be given caught behind off Matthew Marques for a 2nd ball duck while Troy Lewis (8) was leg before to Lyght at 12-2. Marques bowled Vishal Narayan (9) at 37-3 and Bishun got rid of LaRose (5) and Legay (0) as MSC slumped to 63-5.
The 43-year-old Barry, who played 9 First-Class matches between 1988 and 1996, joined the 40-year-old Holder who played at the Regional under-19 level in 1987 and 1988 and the pair provided their younger counterpart with an education in building an innings and adjusting to the situation as they added 64 for the 6th wicket before they departed.
Holder’s 62 came from 79 balls and was decorated with 3 fours and 2 sixes.
Barry hit Bishun, who confused all of the batsmen with his both-ways turn, for 2 sixes in 2 successive overs in his even 50 with 4 sixes and a four from 84 balls.
Only Gravesande (14) of the other batsmen reached double figures.
Bishun took 3-36, Marques had 2-19, Kevin George 2-21 and Squires who seemed unlucky not to have Devers leg before for a first ball duck took 2-25, as only Barry and Holder showed fight with the bat for the home team.