Demerara Under-17 came up good on all fronts to retain their U-17 title in the Bel Air Rubis Inter-county tournament, which concluded at Georgetown Cricket Club on Sunday.
The young lads extended their unbeaten run in the three-round tournament with a 34-run victory over Essequibo.
Man-of-the match Mavindra Dindyal backed up his unbeaten 50 in the previous match against Berbice, with a solid 40 and had support from Ajay Gainda, who made 20 (2x4s).
Dindyal, the promising West Indies U-16 batsman, once again looked fluent on the drive, in an innings where he continued to look a step above his peers. What seemed to be a substantial score building was cut short when he popped a return catch to Ryan Atkinson; he struck four fours and one six in the 45 balls faced.
At that point, Demerara were 120-4 in 23.4 overs; Dindyal added 36 for the third wicket with Gainda then 28 for the fourth with Zachary Jodah (12).
The spin of Atkinson and Aryan Persaud then caused a sudden slide; Demerara lost their next six wickets for 48 runs in 18.2 overs, which at the halfway stage gave Essequibo some relief of a slightly easier chase.
Rudranauth Kissoon (15) and Nicholas Rajpat (11) and were main lower-order scorers for Demerara.
With a chance to sneak a stunning victory, Essequibo needed a good start, but it did not come as opener Romel Hubbard top-edge seamer Taddeus Lovell for one.
Jarred Allicock (12) and Abdul Nadir (10) showed fight via occupation of the crease, however, Allicock was undone by the guile of off-spinner Alvin Mohabir for a quick reflex catch at slip by Lovell, while Kissoon bowled Nadir.
Persaud laboured for seven from 46 balls, but it was the powerful hitting of Ronaldo Scouten which brought hope to the lads from the Cinderella County.
The robust lad dealt in sixes, and having smashed four, he went for a fifth, but fell at long-off hitting against the wind. But there was a glimmer of hope as the improbable become probable until Mohabir again got the vital breakthrough.
Nicko Vincent (19) and Quincy Sampson with 16 (1×4; 1×6) from 17 balls showed some late fight, but Kissoon’s off-spin bemused the lower-order which saw them being bowled out in 45.5 overs.
At Everest, the Select National U-15 were bowled out for 97 by Berbice as Nicholas Sheopersaud top scored with 27. Leon Cecil took 6-14, which included a hat-trick, while Jonathan Rampersaud supported with 3-23 and Isiah Thorne had 1-16.
In response, Berbice raced to 98-2 in 21.4 overs; Mahindra Gopilall hit eight boundaries in his 53-ball 54, while Hemchand Gurdyal faced 54 balls in his unbeaten 30 (4x4s).
