The final round of the Guyana Cricket Board/Hand-in-Hand Under-19, Inter-County Three-Day tournament got off to a relatively prompt start on Tuesday (June 13), despite the current weather conditions.
This round saw the commencement of battles between defending champions Demerara and Berbice at Everest, and the National Select Under-17 and Essequibo at the Police Sports Club ground.
At the Everest Cricket Club ground, Demerara won the toss and elected to bat first, but only managed to put up 190 runs off 90.3 overs. Ramnarine Chatura hit a solid 53 off 98 balls, with three fours and three sixes. West Indies Youth selectees Bhaskar Yadram and Joshua Persaud made 39 and 17 respectively, while Richie Loooknauth contributed 21 and Raymond Perez 17.
Bowling for Berbice, left-arm spinner Keith Simpson grabbed 5-78 from 31 overs and off-spinner Kevin Sinclair took 5-32 from 38.3 overs. Berbice reached 19-1 from 13 overs with Sinclair and Adrian Sukwah unbeaten on 12 and one respectively.
Over at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, the National Select Under-17 attempted to capitalise on their option to bat first, but Essequibo had other plans as they sent back three of the top order batsmen and held them at 45-3 at lunch.
The Select Under-17, despite a slight recovery, were soon 68-5, before Kevlon Anderson, batting at number five and Pradesh Balkishun, batting at number seven, gave Select Under-17 a sixth wicket partnership of 77. Ballkishun was caught at long-off by Quentin Sampson bowl Mahendra Persaud for 24.
Anderson continued to lead the Select Under-17 batting line-up, bringing up his century off 287 balls, with 13 boundaries. Anderson finished the day’s play on an unbeaten 101, as the Select Under-17 closed on 167-6 from 107 overs.
Persaud finished the day with two wickets, Joshua Jones, Sheldon Charles, Lesley Allen and Joel Fortune all took one wicket apiece. Action on day two (June 14) will start at 10:00h.
