Berbice and Demerara recorded commanding wins in two days in the opening round of the Guyana Cricket Board’s Hand-in-Hand Mutual Fire Insurance Three-day Under-19 Inter-county competition. On the losing end were the National Under-17 side and Essequibo. At the Everest ground, Berbice won by five wickets. Scores: Under-17s 86 and 85; Berbice 86 and 87-5.
The Under-17s, resuming from their overnight second innings score of 5-2, found themselves in early woes, when Junior Sinclair was bowled by Sylus Tyndall for two, with just three runs being added to the overnight score.
Kevlon Anderson then joined Orlando Jailall and together they took the score to 30, before Jailall was caught off the bowling of Deon Sinclair for six. Rajendra Singh and Anderson seemed set to take the Under-17s to lunch, but Deon Sinclair had other ideas, and within two minutes to lunch had Rajendra Singh bowled for 10, to send the Under-17s to lunch at 57-5.
After lunch, Sinclair sent back Lance Roberts caught by Simpson for seven, to continue the Under-17s woeful slide to 75-6. Kevin Sinclair then removed Pradesh Balkishun without addition to the score.
Kevin Sinclair then sent back middle-order batsman Kelvon Anderson who made a topscore of 45. Thereafter, Ashmead Nedd was bowled for a duck by Keith Simpson, and Mark Rankin was leg before without scoring to Kevin Sinclair, to close the Under-17s’ second innings, one run short of their first innings total.
Bowling for Berbice, Keith Simpson, Kevin Sinclair and Deon Sinclair took three wickets each.
Set 86 for victory, Berbice initially found the target score challenging, as four batsmen were dismissed for 20 runs, with Kevin Sinclair, Veramootoo Senwasane, Adrian Sukwah and Sylus Tyndall all back in the pavilion.
However, Javid Karim and Steve Deonarine took the score to 65, before Deonarine was dismissed for 20. Mathew Hardyal then joined Karim, and together they carried Berbice to victory at 87-5 from 38.5 overs.
Junior Sinclair was the most threatening bowler for the Under-17s with 3-25 from 14 penetrative overs. Anderson was adjudged Man-of-the-Match for his batting performances of 39 and 45 in the two innings.
Over at the Police Sports Club ground, Demerara won by an innings and 106 runs. Essequibo 106 (Joshua Jones 25, Mark Williams 22, Keshram Seyhodan 3-27, Sagar Hatharamani 2-1) and 115 (Kurt Lovell 33, Sheldon Charles 25, Keshram Seyhodan 4-20) versus Demerara 327-9 declared (Raymond Perez 95, Richie Loaknauth 50, Ramnarine Chatura 40, Joshua Persaud 31, Joel Fortune 6-74). Perez was named Man-of-the-Match.
The second round will commence June 8 at the Everest Cricket Club and Police Sports Club grounds from 10:00h. At Everest, the National Select Under-17s will oppose Demerara, while Essequibo will do battle with Berbice at Police.
