Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Sukhdeo’s Select: A Guyanese XI
Sunday 19 July 2009

Sukhdeo’s Select: A Guyanese XI innings:

After allowing the visitors first opportunity to bat, the Pirates hungered for a first victory over the Guyanese, in this, their fourth encounter. The Premier-grade openers were met with a barrage of pace from Dr Phil Roche and little Nick Wigley. Diving full stretch to claim the catch, Roche removed Raj Sukhdeo for a duck in the first over. Roche showed great variation in line, length, and movement to dismiss Kafee Khan next over, as the ball reared at Khan’s throat, and was brilliantly taken by Colonel Sanders in the slips above his head. At the other end, Nick Wigley (back from his tour of Barbados) was on fire, bowling tight lines kept the opposition under pressure. Vijay and Mohammed played patiently to see off the openers. The score was 40 for 2 after 10 overs.

Captain Bullivant had to decide on how to maintain the miserly scoring and brought on ‘Sebby’ Brahma and ‘Gus Fraser’ Tom Wisden. The move paid off in Wisden’s second over, as Mohammed tried to hoik the Englishman out of the park, but only succeeded in hitting a screamer to Melaram at deep square leg. Wisden, out to prove the first wicket was no fluke, claimed the wicket of Sato in his next over, with a mistimed skier smartly taken by Bullivant, pedalling backwards from midwicket. In the very same over, Wisden struck again, this time via a cut to the always-safe hands of Hugue St-Jean at point. The visitors were now in trouble at 52 for 5. Wisden and Melaram’s spell had produced 3 wickets for 16 runs off 8 overs.

Bhajooram and Hari Sukhdeo came to the crease. The father-and-son pair were determined to stop the Pirate onslaught. They started to work the gaps, and even though their running was schizophrenic at times, they mounted fifty in quick time. Parker and St-Jean’s 6 overs went for 44. Both bowlers struggled with rhythm at first but bounced back well.

Captain Daz decided to further investigate the use of spin, bringing on himself and Bell. Bullivant’s 4th over produced the desired result, with Bhajooram Sukhdeo offering a lollipop to Bell at cover on 26. This brought Andy Myron to the crease, this time playing for the opposition. He was stumped by Brander of the bowling of Bell first ball – the Pirates showing no mercy on their own.

Hari Sukdheo continued to find the boundary on both sides of the wicket. He danced down the wicket and mistimed a whip to leg off Bell, only to be dropped by Wisden on the fence; the ball palmed for 6. Just when it looked like Hari was stealing the game, Bullivant brought back Wigley, who enticed a tickle to keeper Brander. It was another fine catch by the Australian, who may keep absentees Rich Horne and Ed Palmer from returning to the fold.

Mark Sanders, who is building a reputation as the finisher, next ripped out Clarence Cunha, also playing for the opposition. The former Portuguese internationalist had no idea what to do, looking like a deer in the headlights as the ball crashed into his stumps. Great delivery. Must have watched Shane Warne as a kid? (or Ian Salsbury? – Ed.)

Chowdhury set off on a suicidal single and was run out by Bell from cover. Sanders then picked up the wicket of Arman two balls later, with another superb stumping by Brander. Unaware of what was happening in the Test, it was hard to keep the plucky lefthander – and his dog – out of the action. Sanders completed his 1-over spell with the astonishing figures of 2 for 1.

It was the best bowling and fielding performance by a Pirate side. Great catching, and only 20 extras.

Pirates of the St Lawrence innings:

Brander and Sanders opened the batting, getting off to a cautious start against the devious Hari Sukhdeo and paceman Kafe Khan. The pair reached 9 in 4 overs before Sanders was bowled by Hari.

Tom Wisden was next to go, with the score on 21 after 8. He took on the arm of Sukhdeo Senior and found himself run out by half the wicket.

Brander fell lbw to Raj Sukhdeo for 8 runs off 33 balls. St-Jean followed shortly after for 6, with Erfan Chowdhury, whose loyalties have been questioned on more than one occasion, taking a blinder at cover.

Milot and Bell steadied the ship, putting on the most pivotal partnership of the day. Milot’s power paddle and Bell ‘s cuts and on-drives amassed 46 for the 5th wicket. The pair scampered at every opportunity, watching the worm chart mount, until Milot was adjudged lbw off Bhajooram Sukhdeo for a well composed 25 off 33 deliveries.

This brought Cap’n Daz to the crease. He didn’t stay long, falling lbw to his nemesis Arman for 7 off 6. The Pirates innings was looking like it might stall at a key moment. Anton Parker had swapped with Nick Wigley in the batting order after the New Zealander decided he couldn’t go out to bat after his seven beers. Unfortunately Parker was bowled Suk Senior third ball for just 1 run.

Wigley was then forced to bat. He made his way, zig-zagging, to the crease. The seven beers proved to be an obstacle, but he made it to 11 runs off 16 balls, before being run out by Arman. Adjudged one short, and run out coming back for a third on an overthrow, the Pirates’ task was made all the more difficult. Bell relieved the pressure immediately with a glorious six over extra cover.

Requiring more than a run a ball, big hitting Brahma Melaram came to the crease. He lofted his first ball to cow corner, one bounce for 4. Next delivery, he was clean bowled by Bhajooram Sukhdeo.

With 1 wicket and 1 over remaining, and 7 runs required, it was another nail-biting finish. Senyo – a man you’d like to see coming in at number 12 for you in this situation – strode to the crease. Bell offered the Zimbabwean some sage advice, before the pair scrambled a leg bye off the first ball, as Hari Sukhdeo found swing. Senyo lofted his first ball over extra cover, and the batsmen hared back for a third run. Four balls remaining, three required. Bell, on on 48, launched the ball over extra cover, where it crashed into the boundary for four, bringing up his fifth half-century of the season and a famous victory for the Pirates.

Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Sukhdeo’s Select (A Guyanese XI)
Sunday 19 July 2009
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Weather conditions: Sunny for a change
Result: Pirates of the St Lawrence won by 1 wicket

Sukhdeo’s Select: A Guyanese XI Innings

R. Sukhdeo c&b Roche 0
K. Khan ct Sanders b Roche 6
V. Ramgulam (wk) ct St-Jean b Wisden 24
M. Saddick (c) ct Melaram b Wisden 9
Sato ct Bullivant b Wisden 1
B. Sukhdeo ct Bell b Bullivant 26
H. Sukhdeo ct Brander b Wigley 61
A. Myron st Brander b Bell 0
C. Cunha b Sanders 3
E. Chowdhury run out ( Bell ) 1
Randy not out 0
Arman st Brander b Sanders 0

Extras 20
Total 154 all out in 38 overs

Bowling

Phil Roche 5 overs, 2 maidens, 2 wickets, 21 runs
Nick Wigley 7 overs, 1 maiden, 1 wicket, 21 runs
Brahma Melaram 4 overs, 0 wickets, 6 runs
Tom Wisden 4 overs, 3 wickets, 10 runs
Anton Parker 3 overs, 0 wickets, 20 runs
Hugue St-Jean 3 overs, 0 wickets, 24 runs
Darren Bullivant 5 overs, 1 maiden, 1 wicket, 12 runs
Angus Bell 6 overs, 1 wicket, 38 runs
Mark Sanders 1 over, 2 wickets, 1 run

Pirates of the St Lawrence Innings

Greg Brander (wk) lbw Raj 8
Mark Sanders b H. Suhdeo 6
Tom Wisden run out (B. Sukhdeo) 1
Angus Bell not out 52
Hugue St-Jean ct Chowdhury b R. Sukhdeo 6
Thiery Milot lbw B. Sukhdeo 25
Darren Bullivant (c) lbw Arman 7
Phil Roche ct Saddick b Arman 4
Nick Wigley run out (Arman) 11
Anton Parker b B. Sukhdeo 1
Brahma Melaram b B. Sukhdeo 4
Senyo Nyakutse not out 3

Extras 28
Total 156 for 10 in 39.3 overs

Bowling

Hari Sukhdeo 7.3 overs, 1 wicket, 28 runs
Kafe Khan 8 overs, 1 maiden, 0 wickets, 16 runs
Raj Sukhdeo 8 overs, 2 wickets, 25 runs
Mohammed Saddick 4 overs, 0 wickets, 22 runs
Bhajooram Sukhdeo 8 overs, 3 wickets, 28 runs
Arman 4 overs, 2 wickets, 26 runs