By Avenash Ramzan
Known more for his batting exploits, Raymond Perez picked up a hat-trick and his teammate Kwesi Mickle made telling contributions with bat and ball in Essequibo Anacondas’ six-wicket victory over Berbice Piranhas on day two of the inaugural Guyana T10 Blast.
In the second match of a double-header at the Enmore Community Centre ground, East Coast Demerara, on Tuesday, Essequibo Jaguars defeated Berbice Caimans by seven wickets.
It was the first bit of action in the six-team competition, after both matches on the opening day at the same venue on Monday were rained out.
Perez, Mickle lead Anacondas to victory over Piranhas
SUMMARY: Berbice Piranhas 48-8 from eight overs (Veerasammy Permaul 21, Rivaldo Phillips 13; Raymond Perez 3-4, Kwesi Mickle 3-22, Antony Adams 1-3, Jonathon Foo 1-14) vs Essequibo Anacondas 49-4 from 7.4 overs (Kwesi Mickle 21; Garfield Phillips 3-15)
The game was reduced to eight overs per side due to a late start, necessitated by seepage on the pitch. Anacondas’ captain Antony Adams called correctly at the toss and asked the Veerasammy Permaul-led Piranhas to take first strike.
The decision proved the correct one, as the Anacondas bowlers made steady inroads into the batting line-up, building pressure right throughout an innings by delivering 28 dot balls in total.
Off-spinner Mickle removed openers Ronaldo Renee (3) and Rickey Sargeant (1), and followed up with the wicket of Permaul, who was threatening to go big, his 21 off nine balls including two fours and two sixes.
Rivaldo Phillips was the only other batter to reach double-figures, making 13 off 11. Surprisingly, Perez was handed the last over, and after leaking a boundary off the first ball, he followed up two dot deliveries and a hat-trick to close off the innings.
The Guyana Harpy Eagles player removed Phillips, Nigel Deodat and Brandon Jaikarran to etch his name in T10 Blast history. Adams was superb in his two-over spell, taking 1-3, and bowling 10 dot balls, while Jonathon Foo too 1-14.
Left-arm spinner Garfield Phillips then took centre stage, plucking out Perez (0), Urshadeva Balgobin (4) and Foo (6) to leave Anacondas tottering at 14-3 halfway through the third over.
Mickle and Kevon Boodie then steadied the innings with a partnership of 24, before Under-19 player Thaddeus Lovell struck a crucial and decisive six off Permaul in the penultimate over.
Player-of-the-Match Mickle made 21 off 12 (2x4s); Boodie anchored the chase with an unbeaten eight off 20, while Lovell’s contribution was an unbeaten seven of three.
Phillips had figures of 3-15 off two.
Savory wins it for Jaguars over Caimans
SUMMARY: Berbice Caimans 81-6 from 10 overs (Kevlon Anderson 26, Kevin Sinclair 20, Steven Sankar 10; Nial Smith 1-10, Ashmead Nedd 1-15, Joemal La Fleur 1-17) vs Essequibo Jaguars 82-3 from 9.5 overs (Kemol Savory 27*, Shemroy Barrington 22, Chandrapaul Hemraj 18, Mavindra Dindyal 10; Steven Sankar 2-11, Kevin Sinclair 1-12)
Sent in to bat, Caimans were given a rollicking start by Kevin Sinclair and Alex Algoo, who raced to an opening partnership of 28 in three overs.
La Fleur dismissed Algoo for six off the final ball of the third over, and Nial Smith claimed a wicket with his first ball of the tournament, trapping Sinclair leg before for 20 off 12 (2x4s, 1×6) to make it 28-2.
It soon became 38-4 after Abdool Subhan was run out for nine from a throw by Anthon Lim and Travis Persaud suffered the mode of dismissal, a throw from Seon Glasgow finding him short of his ground.
Kevlon Anderson went on to score 26 off 18 before being run out by Lim, and Steven Sankar chipped in with 10 off 11 (1x4s) as Caimans finished their 10 overs on 81-6.
Smith was the pick of the bowlers with 1-10, left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd got 1-15 and La Fleur 1-17.
Jaguars then pulled off the successful run-chase off the penultimate ball, with skipper Kemol Savory taking the Player-of-the-Match trophy for his unbeaten 27 off 19 (2x4s).
Openers Shemroy Barrington (22 off 17- 1×4, 2x6s) and Chandrapaul Hemraj (18 off 12- 1×4, 1×6) gave Jaguars a flying start of 32 in 3.4 overs, before Savory sealed the chase, with Under-19 batsman Mavindra Dindyal also playing his part, hitting a maximum in his quickfire 10 off seven.
Leg-spinner Sankar picked up 2-11 and Sinclair 1-12.
The competition will continue on Thursday with another double-header at the Malteenoes Sports Club ground, Thomas Lands, Georgetown.
Demerara Pitbulls will play Essequibo Anacondas at noon and Berbice Piranhas will face Demerara Hawks at 14:30h.
All matches are being streamed by FL Sport.
