Calm Anderson guides Rose Hall Town to Let’s Bet Sports title

Rose Hall Town Bakewell topped D’Edward Cricket Club by six wickets to win the county-wide Let’s Bet Sports 100-balls Second-Division tournament in Berbice on Sunday.

Captain Kevlon Anderson, who was voted Player-of-the-final, was the difference between the two sides with his calmness at the Albion Community Centre Cricket ground.

Due to time, the final was reduced to 12.4 overs per side. The Rose Hall lads set a target of 82 and got a positive start from openers Surendra Kissonlall (16) and Junior Sinclair.

But Abdul Subhan with 2-24 in two overs shifted the momentum back to D’Edward, especially with the wicket of Sinclair for 24.

However, Anderson brought out the sweep to the spinners and looked to rotate the strike on a consistent basis, which settled the nerves in the camp of the defending champions.

His patient knock of 25, which had a solitary boundary, meant Rose Hall reached 82-4 in 10.5 overs.

Earlier, D’Edward were rocked by pacer Sylus Tyndall, who was on a hat-trick in the first over, but some counter-attacking from Dinnauth Persaud, who struck two well-timed fours in his confident 18, brought them back in the contest.

However, constant strikes by Rose Hall derailed D’Edward’s chances of posting a significant total. Jaipaul Heeralall did offer some more significant fightback in a top-score of 33 from 21 balls, which contained two maximums and two fours, but they were dismissed for 81 off the final ball of their innings.

Anderson, with his medium-pace, took 3-15 in three overs, while Tyndall had 2-17. Keith Simpson (1-11), Sinclair (1-20), and Collis Butts (1-20) were the other wicket-takers.

Rose Hall won G$100,000, while D’Edward took home half of that amount; $20,000 each was awarded to losing semi-finalists Dukestown Warriors and Rose Hall Canje.

Berbice Cricket Board President, Hilbert Foster, explained they are most elated to complete yet another tournament, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, within a short space of time.

Foster said they will continue to use the Second-Division level for this tournament since there are close to 90 Second-Division teams in the county who are “hungry for cricket” and due to a number of teams, it would have offered more publicity for Let’s Bet Sports.

The BCB head also revealed there are numerous tournaments earmarked for 2021 at all levels.

Meanwhile, Dave Seecharran, a Berbice representative of the Guyana Lottery Company, said they are happy to offer support for the tournament and hope for future partnerships.