By Royo Sankar
EACA 2012 Division A Power40
Richmond Hill cricket club raise the bar another notch with an emphatic victory over front runner Everest/ACS as a huge crowd witness the game at Baisley Park (Cage) in Queens last Sunday.

Brandon Bess struck 72 from 30 deliveries. Photo: Brooks La Touche Photography and WindiesCricket.com

Led by Guyana National player Brandon Bess who hit an unbeaten 72 off 30 balls including 4 blistering fours and 6 huge sixes. The innings that would turn the game around, as the Everest/ACS bowlers made early inroads into Richmond Hill top order.

Skipper Karan Ganesh invited Richmond Hill to take first strike after winning the toss, as Trevor Walke and Shaheed Amin sent Royo Sankar 3, Debo Sankar 13, D. Seepersaud 22 and Zaheer Sadloo 1 back in the pavilion having an early lunch. Scorecard read 49 for 4, and later 90 for 7 as Everest/ACS bowlers held their line and completely dominated the early part of the innings.

Karan Ganesh brought himself into the attack and was outstanding with an economical spell 8-1-15- 2 which included the wickets of Shameer Sadloo 9 and M. Seeram 4.

However, number 9 batsman Brandon Bess arrival immediately brought some stability to the tail. He likes to get forward, and did so to defend solidly as he and D. McDonald took the score to 128 before McDonald departed for 14. Roderick Lovell join Brandon Bess as the pair put together a partnership of 80 – completely dominated by Bess, his shot selection was spot on, as he dispatched Fahad Shahnawaz, Aun Merchant and Zamin Amin to all parts of the park.
Roderick Lovell was also left not out on 19 as the Richmond Hill innings closed at 207 for 8 of their allotted 40 overs.

Wickets fell at 1-7 (R. Sankar), 2-27 (D. Sankar), 3-43 (D. Seepersaud), 4-49 (Z. Sadloo), 5-70 (S. Sadloo), 6-88 (P. Mahadeo), 7-90 (M. Seeram), and 8-128 (D. McDonald).

In response to Richmond Hill’s total of 208 for victory, Everest/ACS lost opening batsman Aun Merchant for 1 in the 2nd over caught by Shameer Sadloo at 1st slip off Roderick Lovell while his opening partner Steve Nowrangilall (29) and Gregory Sewdial (16) took the score to 31 before D. McDonald took a brilliant one handed catch at 1st slip off M. Seeram to dismiss him. Karan Ganesh stayed briefly for 19, caught at the wicket by P. Mahadeo off R. Lovell hooking. Tamesh Balwant edged to McDonald at 1st slip for 7, while Amjad Khan was caught at the wicket by P. Mahadeo for 8 off Brandon Bess as wickets tumble at regular intervals.

Richmond Hill spinners kept their cool with nagging line, as Zamin Amin (20) and Terry Hastoo (22) held the innings together with a partnership of 41 before both veterans was dismissed by Shameer Sadloo. Fahad Shahnawaz was left unbeaten with 22 while Shaheed Amin was trapped LBW by Shameer Sadloo for 2 and Trevor Walke cut into the safe hands of Z. Sadloo at point of D. Seepersaud for a duck.
Everest/AC was all out for 167 in the 35 overs. Wickets fell at 1-7 (A. Merchant), 2-31 (G. Sewdial), 3-70 (K. Ganesh), 4-83 (T. Balwant), 5-96 (A. Khan), 6- 96 (S. Nowrangilall), 7-137 (T. Hastoo), 8-144 (Z. Amin) , 9-166 (S. Amin), 10-167 (T. Walke).

Summary: RHCC 207 all out in 40 overs, Brandon Bess 72 not out, Prashad Mahadeo 27, D. Seepersaud 22 and Roderick Lovell 19 not out

Bowling for Everest/ACS, S. Amin, T. Walke and K. Ganesh had two wickets each.

Everest/ACS 167 all out in 35 overs, S. Nowrangilall 29, K. Ganesh 19, Z. Amin 20, T. Hastoo 22 and F. Shahnawaz 22 not out.

Bowling for Richmond Hill: Brandon Bess 5-0-32-1, Roderick Lovell 8-0-40-2, Mahendra Seeram 7-0-31-3, Ramphal Bactowar 7-0-38-0, Shameer Sadloo 6-0-19-3, Dhaniram Seepersaud 1.4-0-6-1.