Universal DVD Berbice Titans pose with their winnings
Universal DVD Berbice Titans emerged champions of the inaugural Jam Zone Masters’ Cup T20 Cricket Tournament, clinching a 26-run victory over Georgetown Pitbulls last Sunday evening at the Providence Stadium.
Scores in the matches were: Hits and Jams All-Stars 184/3 (Dwayne Bravo, 106; Chris Gayle, 38; Nagamootoo 1-25; Edwards 1-36) defeated Georgetown Pitbulls (Dwayne Smith, 66; Lendl Simmonds, 50; Andrew Lyght Jnr 30) by 22 runs to clinch third place.
Universal DVD Club Berbice Titans 151/6 (Assad Fudadin, 55; Krishmar Santokie 3/35) defeated Georgetown Pitbulls 126 all out (Trevon Griffith, 52; Esaun Crandon 3-13; Royston Crandon 2-23) by 25 runs to win the Masters’ Cup.
The highly anticipated final saw the Berbice side toppling the Georgetown challengers who possessed West Indies players of the calibre of Keiron Pollard, Jerome Taylor and Suliemann Benn, along young Jamaican left-arm quick Krishmar Santokie.
Before the game began, both teams stood on the field with GT&T CEO Yog Mahadeo, Hits and Jams CEO Rawle Ferguson and Sport Minister Frank Anthony for the singing of the National Anthem by the group Y3K.
The action commenced with Titans opener, Anthony Bramble, smashing Benn for three spanking off-side boundaries as they raced to 18. But Benn got his revenge when he comprehensively bowled Bramble. The wickets of Richard Ramdeen (16) and Devon Clements (10) left the Berbicans on 65/3 at the half- way stage of the innings.
However, a 65-run fourth-wicket partnership between Fudadin and skipper Royston Crandon steadied the Berbice reply as they moved the score from 60/3 to 125.
However, their vigil was ended when Crandon, on 22, was bowled to become Santokie’s second victim of the evening.
Fudadin, who was dropped on 38 by Shemroy Barrington at long-off off the bowling of Taylor in the 15th over, brought up his half-century in the next over hitting Taylor over long-off for a wonderfully timed six.
Taylor got his man next delivery, deceiving Fudadin with a clever slower ball, Benn taking the catch running back at mid-off, for well made 55 (48 balls 3×4, 1×6).
A quick-fire 16 from five balls from Esaun Crandon aided in propelling the Titans to 151 – one better than their score in the semi-final.
Krishmar Santokie, who has built a reputation as of the best T20 bowlers in the region over the past two seasons, was the pick of Pitbulls’ bowlers with 3/35 from his allotted four overs.
An interesting chase beckoned and the Pitbulls got off to a positive start with DCC opener Trevon Griffith collecting 13 runs off left-arm spinner Versammy Permaul’s first over, as the town side raced to 50 in just five overs with Griffith looking in ominous form with 31 and Barrington playing the supporting role on 18.
The Crandon brothers made the first dent in the eventual demise of the town side, when Esaun had Barrington caught by Rajiv Ivan for 22 with the score on 58 and Steven Jacobs caught on the cover boundary as the side reached 72/2 in the 10th over.
Pollard entered the arena to rapturous applause by the jam-packed crowd and the equation was potentially right in his favour but he went back to the dressing room for 2, after which wickets tumbled regularly for the city side, who were eventually bowled out for 126 in 19.3 overs.
Eusan Crandon took 3-13 while Royston Crandon had 2-23.
Berbice walked away with the top prize of Gy$2 million, while the Pitbulls received Gy$1 million.
