Friday December 14, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 37
Nets face biggest challenge Sunday night By Edison Jefford Republic Bank Nets has to literally play out of its mind Sunday night if it will have any chance of defeating the number one ranked club in Georgetown, and probably Guyana, Ravens, for the Phillip George Legacy Basketball Championship. This is new territory for Nets that defeated the other top three ranked teams in Georgetown, Pepsi Sonics and Pacesetters on its way to its first championship game. The first step toward any competitiveness will be to address its obvious limitations. One, Nets is traditionally
much slower than Ravens in transition offense. The quickness of Ryan ‘Cocaine’ Stephney, Stephon ‘Penny’ Henry, Rodwell ‘Kobe’ Fortune, and Akeem ‘The Dream’ Kanhai will be a consistent bother for the bigger Nets. Because of that fact, Nets has to switch up its defence a bit to include probably Antoine Austin and Darian Lewis as starters along with Pelham Doris. It is a risk, but without risks, Nets will not beat Ravens, which is a seriously deep team with vast experience. Austin is quick and Lewis is strong, qualities that Nets cannot take for granted
Sunday night. The Republic Bank-sponsored club has to integrate those qualities among its slower forwards, Fabian Johnson, Mortimer Williams and Drumson McCullay. It is easy to suggest that Nets will want to play toward its base, to include Johnson, Williams and McCullay consistently on the floor. The danger in that is the consistent threat of Ravens’ guards, who will easily run past the trio both in transition and set offenses. Therefore, the first limitation for Nets is its defence. Ravens will know that Nets has a defensive issue and will want to exploit them. They will figure the
National team warm up T20 with consecutive victories Derwin Christain pull pacer Clinton Pestano through mid wicket.
The Guyana team preparing for the 2013 Caribbean Twenty20 tournament defeated a Rest XI by 31 runs and 6 wickets respectively in two warm up matches yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. The national team took first strike and posted 158-6 off their allocation of overs. Openers Trevon Griffith and Derwin Christian added 18 before Griffith was caught off Keon Joseph for 10. Christian was then joined by Ramnaresh Sarwan and the pair put together 54 for the second wicket stand. Christian was then dismissed for 26 after facing 32 balls hitting two fours and one six. Sarwan and Narsingh Deonarine then put together 57 for the third wicket partnership before Sarwan was caught of Raj Nanan for a top score of 39 which came off 38 balls and was laced with four and two sixes while Deonarine faced 23 balls, hitting for one four and two sixes.
Vice Captain Christopher Barnwell chipped in with a robust 32 which came off 12 balls and contained three fours and two sixes to ensure his team reached a respectable total. Nanan ended with 2-24 while Andre Stoll, Kellon Carmichael and Joseph had one each. The Rest in reply lost Robin Bacchus cheaply when he was caught off pacer Ronsford Beaton with the score on 10. Shemroy Barrington and Assad Fudadin took the fight to the opposition adding 44 for the second wicket before Paul Wintz removed Fudadin for 22 (1x4 2x6). Barrington and Gajanand Singh came together and featured in a third wicket stand of 59 but their efforts were way below the asking rate as the Rest XI finished on 127-3 in 20 overs. Barrington was bowled by Devendra Bishoo in the closing stages for 53 (1x4 2x6) which came off 52 balls while Singh was left unbeaten on 28 (1x4 1x6) off 28 balls. Beaton,
Bishoo and Wintz were the wicket takers for the victors. In the second match, the Rest XI batted first and were restricted to 93-9 in 20 overs despite a fighting third wicket stand of 31 between Singh and Fudadin (08). Devendra Bishoo (2-10), Leon Johnson (2-23) and Royston Crandon (2-25) bowled with good control and variation as only Singh with a 22-ball top score of 33 (1x4 2x6), Chanderpaul Hemraj 19, Anthony Bramble and Robin Bacchus with 12 each offering resistance. Trevon Griffith then smashed two fours and three sixes on his way to a top score of 55 as the national team reached their target off 14.4 overs ending on 95-4 in reply. His innings lasted for 41 balls. Stephen Jacobs supported with 20 (1x4) while Joseph, Dillon Heyliger, Kellon Carmichael and Robin Bacchus took one wicket each for the Rest XI. The teams will meet again today in another match at the said venue.
easiest way to do so is to increase tempo and minutes for Stephney, Henry, Fortune and Kanhai. Ravens will totally ignore that it is smaller than Nets; because of its depth, it will try to beat Nets with speed. Nets has to ensure that its possessions count; the best bet is to work the ball on the inside and hope for results from McCullay, Johnson and Williams. Again, thinking outside the box, here is a tip for the underdog Nets: Williams should play inside opposed to taking so many perimeter shots that he is accustomed; for his height, he can have an advantage banging his body inside. Nets has to take these risks to win. Finally, there is the insideout threat of Jermaine Slater and Ryan Gullen. To say that this was a defining year for both players would be an understatement; apart from their aggression in the paint, the duo has added a jump shot component to their game that makes them very versatile and difficult to defend. Nets seem outclassed in
every department, but changing up its starting five, upping minutes for some players while dropping some players’ minutes, thinking every quarter through innovatively, defence and taking chances could make them competitive and perhaps given them their first Division I title.
Drumson McCullay
WDCB U-19 Persaud bowls CI to consecutive wins National Under-17 player Akshaya Persaud grabbed 7 wickets for one run off 5.2 overs as Cornelia Ida trounced Canal No. 2 by 48 runs when play in the West Demerara Cricket Board (WDCB) Under-19 40-over competition continued Sunday last. Home team, Cornelia Ida batted first and were bowled out for 90 in 26.3 overs. Avinash Dhaniram led with 22 (3x4) as Jagdesh Ramlakhan claimed 4-12. The visitors were skittled out for 42 in 18.2 overs in reply. Meanwhile, on Saturday
at the same venue, Cornelia Ida defeated Cris Ambassadors by 37 runs. The host took first strike and managed 96 before being bowled out in 24.3 overs. Dhaniram Samaroo was the only batsman touching double figures with 19; Kenton Boyce took 3-13 and Kevin Paul 3-14. Cris Ambassadors in response were sent packing for 59 in 20 overs. Juwan Dickenson made 18; Persaud bagged 46 and Richie Loaknauth 3-16 for the winners. The game was reduced to 30 overs due to rain.