Second-round Under-19 wins for Berbice and Essequibo

BERBICE needed 12 minutes to wrap up Demerara’s tail at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground yesterday morning, to complete a massive 216-run victory when the two sides met in the second round of the Guyana Cricket Board/Raj Singh Under-19 Inter-county three-day tournament.

Resuming the day on 71 for 8 and needing another 227 more runs for victory with just an injured Malcolm Hubbard waiting to bat, Demerara batsmen folded meekly to the bowling of Grisean Grant who took 4 for 33 and Balchand Baldeo who supported with 3 for 20, as they were bowled out for 81.
In fact, the team from the Ancient County had made their work easier the previous day, when they rocked the home team’s batting late in the day and needed just 2.3 overs to complete their second win in this year’s tournament, following their 10-wicket first-round victory over the National Under-17 lineup in the previous round.
At the Demerara Cricket Club ground, the National Under-17 who started the day on 7 for 2 (and not 17 for 2 as was incorrectly stated in yesterday’s edition of Chronicle Sport) in search of 256 to record a come-from-behind victory, reached 117 for 5 at lunch, before they were bowled out for 147.
Skipper Ronaldo Ali-Mohammed topscored with 43 (82 balls, 5×4, 1×6), Timothy McAlmont made 33 (4×4), the two adding 67 for the sixth wicket before McAlmont was caught by Travis Drakes off Keanu Harry (3 for 22) at 137 for 6.
Harry also removed Ali-Mohammed in his next over, when the right-handed batsman was caught at the wicket by Nathan Persaud at 138 for 7, and the National Under-19s never recovered as they were dismissed in full by 13:46hrs.
Earlier, former national Under-15 batsman Bhaskar Yadram made 25 (4×4) for the Under-17s but it was in vain as Essequibo skipper Kemo Paul and Looknauth Chinkoo took two wickets each for 18 and 48 runs to support Harry, while Paul was named man-of-the-match for his exploits with the bat.
The third and final round will be contested from tomorrow, with points leader Berbice facing Essequibo at Enmore while Demerara and the Under-17 will do battle at Everest.