GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 1, 2014
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Raffik and Sons Construction lend support to this year’s BCB/BCCDA Independence Cup AS THE organisers begin to put things in place for this year’s much-anticipated Independence T20 Cup that is organised by the Berbice Cricket Board, Raffik and Sons Construction Services is one of the early sponsors of the tournament. This is the third edition of the tournament and it promises to be the biggest ever, with the final being played for the first time under international quality floodlights, the same as the Guyana National Stadium. Four hardball teams will participate along with two top softball teams while there will be many other attractions for all ages that will be made public as the date gets closer.
Rana Persaud (right), representative of the organisers of the BCB/ BCCDA Independence Cup, receives the cheque from Stewart Thompson, Administrative Assistant of Raffik and Sons Construction Services Limited.
Blessings were already sought from the Regional Administration and this gala event will form part of the Region’s celebration for Independence, with proceeds going to charitable organisations in and around Berbice and for the first time, allocation will be made for medical purposes. At a simple ceremony held recently, Administrative Assistant of Raffik Construction Services, Stewart Thompson, said they were pleased with what they saw last year and feel obligated to increase their sponsorship for this year’s edition. He wished the tournament success and was happy to know that so many charitable organ-
isations will benefit from this event. Receiving the cheque on behalf of the organisers, Rana Persaud thanked Raffik and Sons Construction Services for coming on board for the second time. He assured the sponsor that the company will be satisfied with the mileage and the way the tournament will be conducted, adding that transparency and accountability have been the hallmark of the first two tournaments and this year will be no different. The tournament is set for May 25 at the Albion Community Centre ground and has incentives close to G$1M along with many gate prizes up for grabs.
Herath sends Sri Lanka through SPINNER Rangana Herath produced the bowling performance of the tournament as Sri Lanka progressed to the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 by rolling New Zealand for just 60 Herath, making his first appearance of the competition in place of Ajantha Mendis, produced a magical spell - claiming five for three in 3.3 overs of imperious left-arm spin, ripping
the heart out of the Black Caps batting line-up, removing Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Jimmy Neesham for ducks. It meant Sri Lanka’s modest 119 all out was enough for a 59-run win and also condemned the exiting Kiwis to their lowest ever T20 total. At the changeover Sri Lanka would have been disappointed with their total, not least their
failure to bat the overs out. Things had started brightly, Kyle Mills’ opening over costing 12 as Kusal Perera hit an early six and four, but Trent Boult had different ideas and accounted for each of the top three in his opening burst. Perera was first down, feathering down the leg side for 16, while Tillakaratne Dilshan was out to mis-judging his
trademark scoop. The out-of-form Kumar Sangakkara then continued his poor run when he looped a gentle catch to Corey Anderson at mid-off for four. Mahela Jayawardene and Lahiru Thirmanne then rebuilt to the tune of 30 runs in five overs before the latter steered a poor Neesham ball down third man’s throat.
Netherlands inflict another humiliating defeat on England ENGLAND were humiliated by the Netherlands for the second World Twenty20 tournament in a row, losing by 45 runs yesterday. England, already eliminated from the tournament after defeats by New Zealand and South Africa, were bowled out for 88 chasing a modest 134 for victory in their final Group One Super 10 match in Chittagong.
It was the lowest total ever posted by a full-member Test side against an associate nation in the shortest format of the game. “It sums up our winter really. It was pretty similar to our batting displays when we lost the Ashes in Australia,” a dejected England captain Stuart Broad said at the presentation ceremony. “Lack of commitment in the
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230)& CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL CO. LTD-83 Garnette Street, Campbellville (Tel: 225-6158; 223-6055) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: 94 sixes Scotland and Kenya Today’s Quiz: Which two have never won the Man of the Match Award in a T/20 World Cup final? Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Shahid Afridi, Marlon Samuels, David Hussey, Irfan Pathan Which two teams have played in four out of the five T/20 World Cups? Answers in tomorrow’s issue
shots and a very disorganised chase it was. The bowling and fielding were okay, we just lacked a bit of hunger with the bat by the looks of it. No one got going, no one took responsibility and Netherlands took the chance. It was a relatively simple chase but a shocking chase in the end.” Logan van Geek and Mudassar Bukhari took three wick-
ets each for the Dutch, who also defeated England by four wickets in the opening match of the World Twenty20 at Lord’s in 2009. Bukhari (3-12) did the damage with the new ball, taking the openers out while van Geek (3-9) accounted for the lower middle order as England capitulated to be all out with 14 balls to spare.
New Zealand kept applying pressure through wickets, Angelo Mathews in and out for six and Jayawardene finally bowled on the sweep by Nathan McCullum for 25 in 32 balls. At 85 for six things looked bad, but although the Black Caps hoovered up all four wickets, handy runs from Thisara Perera (16) and Sachithra Senanayake (17) boosted the tally towards credibility. The reply began somewhat serenely, Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill making their way to 18 in three overs. But the introduction of Herath changed the game, as he combined with Sangakkara to run out Guptill off his first delivery and then claimed the key scalp, Brendon McCullum tempted down the track only to be stumped for a duck. His next over was just as deadly, Herath pinning Taylor lbw then clattering Neesham’s leg stump, both without scoring.
Rangana Herath His third over brought a fourth success, Luke Ronchi perplexed by turn and trapped leg before and at 29 for 5, the target looked mountainous and Sri Lanka rammed home their advantage when Senanayake got in on the act by seeing off Nathan McCullum and Mills without fuss. While chaos raged around him Williamson compiled a steady 42, though his departure, wastefully run out in the 16th over, left his side on the brink and with Anderson unable to bat due to a dislocated finger, Herath ended things by picking off Boult.
Bangladesh and Australia battle to avoid wooden spoon HOSTS BANGLADESH and pre-tournament favourites Australia will complete their ICC World Twenty20 campaign with a wooden-spoon whimper in Dhaka. One team can at least break their duck in Group 2 at the Sher-eBangla Stadium. But for Bangladesh, in front of their partisan and frantic home support, and Australia, at the end of an otherwise allconquering 2013-14, this is a significant anti-climax. Bangladesh will be without long-serving seamer Mashrafe Mortaza, who has battled on with knee trouble through the tournament but will not be asked to do so one last time. The hosts did at least top their qualifying group, despite the embarrassment of a two-wicket defeat against Hong Kong in Chittagong.
But after their latest setback at the hands of Pakistan in Dhaka on Sunday confirmed also-ran status, Bangladesh badly need a consolation victory over high-profile opponents to restore some self-belief. Australia, meanwhile, may still be in shock following their 73run trouncing against unbeaten India. They went into that match with semi-final hopes already spent after previous defeats against Pakistan and then West Indies. But it was alarming to see them falter to 86 all out in 16.2 overs, having been set only a par target. Captain George Bailey, who described the defeat as the most disappointing of his three-year Twenty20 tenure, also led Australia to an early exit - in the absence of the injured Michael Clarke - from last summer’s ICC Champions Trophy in England.