Sankar on target, but West Berbice snatch one-wicket win

Former national youth player Steven Sankar brought Georgetown on the brink of only a second victory in the tournament with a ripping 5-17, but West Berbice held on to win by one-wicket in the penultimate round of the SBF Petroleum 50-Over League Tuesday.

Chasing 159 from 46 overs, West Berbice won off the penultimate ball of the innings after being well in control at 131-4 in the 37th over at Everest.

Sankar’s leg-spin proved to be a handful when he dislodged Javed Karim for solid 32 (2x4s) then Ashmead Nedd had Marvan Prashad stumped first ball.

It quickly became 133-6 and soon 137-7 with Sankar’s mystery striking Seon Glasgow Jr. who battled for 17 then next ball trapped Gudakesh Motie.

On a role, the Demerara Cricket Club spinner then trapped Andrew Dutchin (04) on the crease which created serious tension in the Berbice camp.

Two were needed of the final over bowled by Christopher Barnwell; the first two were scoreless deliveries off the bat of Nigel Deodat.

Pressure was building and he slapped the third straight to cover, and in came last man Keon Joseph, who sliced the all-important single to deep third man to level the scores.

Supporting the valiant effort of Sankar was Nedd with 1-23 and Winston Forrester with 2-32. Kevin Sinclair continued his good form in the league with a fluent 43 at the top of the order to back up his 2-40.

Gudakesh Motie was chief wreck with 5-27, while follow left-arm spinner Nigel Deodat had 2-12 from his nine overs which held bundled out the star-studded Georgetown franchise for 158 in 42.5 overs.

With Joshua Persaud (0) and Winston Forrester (19) only added one for the first wicket and it meant Raymond Perez (32) and Christopher Barnwell with an unconventional 64 (4x4s;2x6s) from 104 balls got Georgetown out of the blocks.

Leon Johnson, who made a sublime century in the previous match, followed it up a three-ball duck while the young Jeremiah Scott chipped in 21. The final round will be played Thursday.