Griffith (300), Barnwell (175) put DCC on top in First Division final

At this stage, the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) First-Division Two-Day title looks set to stay at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) as the hosts are in full control of the final against Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) in Queenstown.

The day belonged to opener Trevon Griffith who blasted GCC’s bowlers to all parts of the ground and into some of the nearby yards in his majestic 300, while Christopher Barnwell cracked a successive ton (175), which powered DCC to a mammoth 590-4 declared in 69.1 overs.

With 21 overs to bat in the day, GCC’s batting folded to the pressure and are 90-8.

Left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd has so far snared 4-6 in eight overs. Wrist-spinner Totaram Bishun (2-39), Steven Sankar (1-4) who dismissed Alimohamed in the final over the day, and Carlton Jacques (1-20) also were among the wickets.

Griffith could have broken an 86-year-old record for the highest First-Division score in the Georgetown Cricket Association.

The record is still held by Khalid Rohomon who made 319 for East Indian Cricket Club (now Everest Cricket Club) against GCC at Bourda in July 1936. David Harper had made 314 for Everest against DCC in Queenstown in 1989.

The left-hander hammered 23 sixes and 24 fours from his 228 balls faced. He firstly shared a 124-run opening stand in 14.1 overs with Joshua Persaud who made 85 (13x4s; 5x6s).

Sachin Singh then departed for 10 which gave way to the Griffith/Barnwell power-hitting exhibition, who added 358 for the third-wicket in 44 overs.

Barnwell, who cracked 173 the previous weekend against Everest Cricket Club in the semi-final, once again asserted his authority with 13 sixes and 13 fours in his 120-ball knock.

Winston Forrester (2-115 from 17 overs) and Ronaldo Alimohamed (2-141 from 19.5 overs) did the toil in the field for GCC.

Forrester, who opened with Ryan Hemraj (21), has so far, top-scored for his team with 25, while Mavendra Dindyal made 15.

Play continues Sunday from 09:30h.