First-Class Matches Trinidad and Guyana 1958/59 to 1989/90

114 Guyana – History 1984/85 After a contest that was close all the way through, Demerara became the first winners of the Guystac Trophy. In only his second first-class match, Carl Hooper took an unlikely nine wickets for Demerara; he did not take nine wickets in a match again for over 14 years (and never took ten). Demerara’s senior off-spinner, Roger Harper, was otherwise engaged, on tour with the full WI side in Australia. 1985/86 Demerara needed only 35 to win the game in the fourth innings, but lost six wickets before doing so. For Berbice, Kevin Edwards scored 99 on his first-class debut; it was to remain the highest score, and only half-century, of his brief first-class career. 1986/87 Rain prevented any chance of a result, but Demerara were heading for a first-innings lead when the game came to its premature end. Roger Harper was again away, on tour in Pakistan alongside another recent Jones Cup stalwart, Clyde Butts. 1987/88 The ground at Bourda was being resurfaced, and so the final was moved to the headquarters of the Guyana Defence Force at Camp Ayanganna, on the east side of Georgetown. It proved to be the only first-class match ever played there. Demerara took a first-innings lead, but bad weather prevented an outright result. 1988/89 The weather was even more unkind this time, allowing no more play after an abbreviated first day. For Demerara, Nezam Hafiz made his first-class debut without stepping on to the field of play. Just over 13 years (and five more first-class matches) later he lost his life in the 9/11 outrage in New York. 1989/90 The last internal first-class match in Guyana – indeed, in the West Indies – was played for the Kenneth Sookram Memorial Trophy. It was won comfortably by Demerara, whose first innings of 400 included four run-outs and the last first-class century of these matches, a score of 114 by Ravindranauth Seeram. The competition was due to have been played on a round-robin basis this year, but Essequibo’s two matches were both abandoned. Winners Until its last season, the Jones Cup / Guystac Trophy / Kenneth Sookram Memorial Trophy was only awarded if a side won the final match outright; otherwise it was retained by the side that last won it on that basis. Although officially contested as a league in 1989/90, in practice only one match was played, and so the winners of that match became the last winners of the first-class competition. Where the final match ended in a draw, this table names in italics the team that took a first-innings lead. 1971/72 Demerara* 1977/78 Berbice 1983/84 Berbice 1972/73 Demerara 1978/79 Berbice 1984/85 Demerara 1973/74 Berbice † 1979/80 No decision 1985/86 Demerara 1974/75 Berbice 1980/81 Berbice 1986/87 No decision 1975/76 Demerara 1981/82 Demerara 1987/88 Demerara 1976/77 Berbice 1982/83 Demerara 1988/89 No decision 1989/90 Demerara * Demerara retained the Jones Cup in 1971/72, as they had been the last outright winners in the pre-first-class era (in 1968/69). † For this season alone, the GCB President’s Trophy was awarded to the team winning on first innings, even though the match as a whole ended as a draw.