Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour booked their place in the Berbice Cricket Board KSM Investment 50-over final on Saturday, October 24, beating Rose Hall Canje Community Centre by eight wickets at the Canje Ground behind an unbeaten 104 from national opener Raymond Perez.
According to Kaieteur News, Perez struck six sixes and ten fours in his 104 not out on Berbice debut, a composed and at times brutal innings that settled a semifinal reduced to 45 overs per side after morning moisture delayed the start by an hour.
How the semifinal unfolded
Rose Hall Town Namilco won the toss and chose to bowl, a decision that looked sound once former national pacer Clinton Pestano found the edge of Altaz Balman's bat early, the catch taken behind the stumps by the veteran Jason Sinclair. Openers Sanjay Algoo and Balman had put on 25 in three overs, and both were gone before the innings found any real momentum.
National skipper and test player Tevin Imlach then anchored the Canje reply. He added 47 for the second wicket with Algoo, who fell for 46 when he was caught at short third man by Perez off medium pacer Kevlon Anderson. Skipper Adrian Hetynger managed only 5 before being run out at 85 for 3.
Ramario Ramdehall provided the acceleration with a brisk 47, three fours and two huge sixes included, before Jonathan Rampersaud had him caught at deep midwicket by Anderson. Imlach himself top scored with 54, batting with a level head until he was brilliantly caught behind by a diving Sinclair attempting a reverse sweep off Rampersaud, with Canje slipping to 202 for 5.
The lower order offered little beyond Richard Ramdehall's 22 and Doovand Newland's unbeaten 21, and the home side closed on 238 for 9 from their 45 overs.
The run chase
Needing 239 to advance, the visitors lost Kevin Sinclair early, caught at the wicket off Raymond Vankenic for 10 with the score at 16 for 1 in the second over. That brought Perez to the crease with a job to do, and he did it with interest.
Perez and Junior Sinclair added 125 for the second wicket in just 15 overs before Sinclair was dismissed by former West Indies Under 19 pacer Isai Thorne for 46, an innings that included five fours and two sixes. From there the result was never seriously in doubt.
West Indies test player Kevlon Anderson joined Perez and the pair knocked off the remaining 99 runs in eight overs without further loss. Perez finished unbeaten on 104; Anderson reached 61 not out from just 26 balls, with six fours and five sixes, an innings Kaieteur News described as being played in no mood for nonsense.
Bowling figures
Spinner Jonathan Rampersaud led the Rose Hall Town Namilco attack with 3 for 21 from five overs, with Clinton Pestano taking 3 for 51 from nine. Kevin Sinclair chipped in with 1 for 41 and Kevlon Anderson 1 for 24. For Canje, Isai Thorne's single wicket cost 73 runs from eight expensive overs, while Raymond Vankenic took 1 for 26 from three.
What happens next
The Berbice Cricket Board will set the date for the KSM final, where Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour will contest yet another BCB title match. The club, one of Berbice cricket's most consistent producers of national talent, will enter that final as clear favourites on the strength of Saturday's display.
For Canje, there were positives in Imlach's assured half century and the early thrust provided by Ramdehall, but 238 was never likely to be enough once Perez and Anderson settled.
Why Perez's innings matters
A debut century in a semifinal is a statement of intent. The 50-over format rewards patience in the middle overs and ruthlessness at the death, and Perez delivered both. His 125-run stand with Junior Sinclair absorbed the pressure created by Vankenic's early strike, and his later acceleration with Anderson turned a chase into a procession.
Berbice cricket has long been a feeder system for Guyana's national side, and performances like this one in front of a sizeable crowd in humid conditions are exactly what selectors watch for.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the BCB KSM 50-over semifinal?
Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour defeated Rose Hall Canje Community Centre by eight wickets at the Canje Ground on Saturday, October 24.
How many runs did Raymond Perez score?
Perez scored 104 not out on his Berbice debut, hitting six sixes and ten fours.
When is the KSM final?
The Berbice Cricket Board has yet to announce the date for the final, which Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour will contest.