Mahdia Cricket team swept V-Net Vipers in a three-match tapeball series at Everest on Sunday, but the biggest winner was the Isurdeen family, who received a G$100,000 donation.
Initially, the spoils of the three 10-over slugfests were going to the teams, but the management of both sides agreed to extend their arms of benevolence.
The matches were held as part of the birthday celebrations of Mahdia’s main supporter, Ragkumar Singh, of Movements Family.
The donation was directed to 11-year-old cricketer Narindra Isurdeen, the son of cricket enthusiast Uttamkumar Isurdeen. Narindra is a member of the Everest Cricket Club and attends Aurora Primary School on the Essequibo Coast.
Uttamkumar, who was handed the donation by Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, expressed great appreciation for the gesture by both teams and said it will be put to good use in his son’s development.
Uttamkumar is wheelchair-bound following a vehicular accident several years ago.
Minister Sukhai applauded both teams for making it an exciting day out and said the effort to assist the Isurdeen family is extremely noble.
The management of both teams expressed thanks to Trophy Stall for its assistance and the executives of the Everest Cricket Club for use of the venue.
In the first match of the day, Vipers were bundled out for just 50 in eight overs with Quintin Samson top-scoring with 22 and Raydon Austin taking 3-4 in two overs. Andrew Gibson with 18 led an easy run-chase for Mahdia.
The second match proved to be more exciting, as Vipers racked up 111-6 in their allotted overs with the power of Samson hammering six maximums in his blistering 36, while Kemol Savory made 27 (1×4; 2x6s) and Antony Adams made 10 from three balls. Despite the onslaught, Beepal Bandoo took 2-5.
In the response, Mahdia got off to a rollicking start with the bat of Gibson and Ershaad Ali adding 49 in quick time.
Gibson eventually perished for 41 (1×4; 5x6s), and Vipers, who dropped Ali early in his innings on the long-off boundary, were made to pay as he hammered 36 (6x6s).
The match could have swung either way in the last two overs, but Ricardo Adams produced a quick-fire 13 which muscled it Mahdia’s way.
In the third match, both sides opted to give their fringe players an opportunity and it proved to be another close battle.
Ali was deemed the best batsman with 70 runs in the three matches, while Austin took the bowler’s award with an aggregate of 5-45 from six overs.
