Ravendra Madholall
MALTEENOES Sports Club (MSC) and Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) will square off in the Demerara Cricket Board Hand-in-Hand 50-over final from 09:30 h today at the Everest cricket ground on Carifesta Avenue.

Both teams have got several players who are capable of dominating with the bat while bowlers can maximise on the strong wind always blowing across the ground from the Atlantic Ocean.

MSC reached many finals but were beaten, but today is a different scenario and no doubt they will want to forget about that psychological barrier and remain positive against their arch-rival DCC.

The Thomas Lands boys will be led by Aaron Frazer and he will have some senior players who will want to continue making an impression at this level. The likes of former national players Neil Barry and Shawn Thompson can be very instrumental towards gaining a victory.

Barry should lead the batting, on a pitch that is expected to favour bowling, with Randy London, Frazer, former national Youth player Danny Narayan and Elton Adams, while in the bowling department, leg-spinner Thompson should be confident with ex-Berbice and Guyana Youth off-spinner Sean Devers, leg-spinner Narayan in their lineup.

Fast bowler Seon Daniels will lead the bowling while Howard Chance, who represented Guyana in 1994 at the Under-19 level, is also capable of swinging the new ball.

DCC will be led by the 47-year-old Linden Lyght, the brother of former opening batsman, the late Andrew Lyght, and he will have a relatively young inexperienced side at his disposal.

However, they can make life difficult for MSC with their two exciting openers, Winston Rollins and Dwayne Perreira, while Troy Nurse, the in-form Antonnel Atwell and Jermaine Horatio should be able to accumulate quick runs on an Everest outfield.

The bowling will hinge on fast bowler Edward Burnette and the lively Matthews Marques while left-arm spinner Leroy Bristol, who had a five-wicket haul in one of the semi-finals, will expect support from off-spinner Kevin George and skipper Lyght with his medium pace.

The two umpires are Shannon Crawford and Krishna Lall.

MSC team reads: Aaron Frazer (captain), Randy London, Danny Narayan, Neil Barry, Everton Charles, Howard Chance, Elton Adams (wkp.), Shawn Thompson, Denroy George, Sean Devers, Seon Daniels, Simeon Sam, Neil Barry (Jr), Shaville Williams and Vishal Narayan.

DCC team reads: Linden Lyght (captain), Winston Rollins, Dwayne Perreira, Troy Nurse, Jermaine Horatio, Cowen Ismond, Alfred Mentore, Leroy Bristol, Kevin George, Edward Burnette, Navindra Persaud, Denver Greaves (wkp.), Antonnel Atwell, Gavin Douglas and Matthew Marques.