By Avenash Ramzan
The Guyana Cricket Board’s Male Under-19 Inter-County 50-over competition commenced on Friday with Demerara and Berbice securing victories in two low-scoring matches.
It is from this competition the Guyana team will be selected to compete in the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 competition in July in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
At Lusignan: Demerara defeated Select XI by nine wickets
SUMMARY: Select XI 100 all out from 33 overs (Justin Doobay 23, Nityanand Mathura 19*, Shiloh Adams 17, Anthony Khan 13; Wavell Allen 3-22, Riyad Latiff 3-33, Alvin Mohabir 2-7) vs Demerara 101-1 from 19.5 overs (Romeo Deonarain 53*, Sachin Balgobin 46; Nityanand Mathura 1-32)
Set a meagre target of 101 for victory, Demerara coasted to victory in 19.5 overs, losing just a solitary wicket in the process at the East Coast Demerara venue.
Click here to view photos of Demerara vs Select XI
Openers Romeo Deonarain and Sachin Balgobin ensured there was no unwarranted drama, putting on exactly 100 runs for the first wicket in 19.4 overs to put the lid on the match.
Balgobin was dismissed for 46 off 44 balls (6x4s, 1×6) with scores level, before skipper Mavindra Dindyal stroked the winning run off the first ball he faced.
Deonarain was not out on 53 off 74 balls, an innings that included four fours.
Earlier, Select XI lost wickets at regular intervals, with only Justin Doobay with 23 getting past 20. Nityanand Mathura scored 19 not out, Shiloh Adams 17 and Anthony Khan 13.
Bowling for Demerara, Wavell Allen took 3-22, Riyad Latiff 3-33 and Alvin Mohabir 2-7.
At Malteenoes: Berbice defeated Essequibo by seven wickets
SUMMARY: Essequibo 108 all out from 34.5 overs (Shahid Vieira 25, Jadon Campbell 24, Rajindra Ramballi 21; Salim Khan 3-30, Kumar Deopersaud 2-11, Sanjay Algoo 2-27) vs Berbice 109-3 from 21.5 overs (Damion Cecil 31*, Rampertab Ramnauth 27, Rashad Gaffur 22*; Bruce Vincent 2-23)
In a match reduced to 39 overs per side due to early morning showers, Essequibo wasted a solid platform by the openers, suffering a majestic collapse to give Berbice the upper hand at the Thomas Lands ground.
Shahid Vieira (25) and Rajindra Ramballi (21) put on 62 in 18 overs for the first wicket, but once they were separated, the innings subsided.
Number three batsman Jadon Campbell made 24, but everyone else fell for single figure scores in Essequibo’s 108 all out in 34.5 overs.
Click here to view photos of Berbice vs Essequibo
Player-of-the-Match Salim Khan (3-30) and Kumar Deopersaud and Sanjay Algoo with two each were the top wicket-takers for Berbice.
In reply, the Berbicians achieved victory at 109-3 in 21.5 overs with Damion Cecil unbeaten on 31 off 43 (2x4s) and Rashad Gaffur on 22 not out off 33 (1×4) in an unbroken stand of 47.
Opener Rampertab Ramnauth made 27 off 43 (2x4s, 2x6s), as Bruce Vincent claimed 2-23.
The competition will continue on Sunday with Essequibo versus Demerara at Malteenoes and the Guyana Cricket Select XI taking on Berbice at Meten-Meer-Zorg.
Both games will start at 09:30h.
