Comfortable wins for Georgetown and East Coast in DCB Inter-Assoc. U-19

Georgetown and East Coast took an early lead in the run for championship honours in the Demerara Cricket Board’s Inter-Association Under-19, 50-over competition, which commenced on Saturday at two venues in the county.

At the Transport Sports Club in the city, Georgetown flattened East Bank by 191 runs, while over at the Meten-Meer-Zorg ground, East Coast prevailed by six wickets over home side West Demerara.

Georgetown, led by half-centuries from Riyad Latif, his brother Ryan Latif and Jayden Dowlin, powered to a commanding 328-9 from 50 overs, the highest total of the day.

Player-of-the-Match Riyad Latif missed out on a hundred, falling for 94 with two deliveries remaining in the innings. He faced 77 balls and counted five fours and five sixes.

Ryan Latif struck five fours and two sixes in 71 off 82 and the in-form Dowlin, son of former Guyana and West Indies Test and ODI batsman, made 60 off 70 (7x4s, 3x6s).

Opener Shiloh Adams set Georgetown on the way to the winning total, hitting six fours and six in a quickfire 35 off 19. Dave Mohabir chipped in with 19 off 15 (2x4s, 1×6).

Deonarine Dindial, the captain of East Bank, was the standout bowler, taking 5-49 off 10 overs, while Altaf Rahim claimed 2-39 off eight.

Rocked by a fiery opening burst from speedster Wavell Allen, East Bank slipped to 12-3 and from then it was just a matter of them minimising the margin of defeat.

East Bank folded for 137 from 29.2 overs with Allen taking 4-22 from six impressive overs.

John Persaud, Renaldo Grenville, Feyaad Leakraj, Dave Mohabir and Dowlin had one each.

Dovind Ducan made a topscore of 42 off 40 (3x4s, 2x6s) and Devin Roopnarine scored 28 off 17 (7x4s).

Joshua Budhram (17) and Dilshan Latchman (10) were the only other players to get to a double figure score.

At Meten-Meer-Zorg, East Coast got to their target of 109 against West Demerara, coasting to 111-4 from 19.2 overs.

National Under-17 wicketkeeper batsman Vickash Wilkinson led the chase with 44 (6x4s, 1×6) and Moin Persaud made 42 (5x4s, 2x6s).

Bowling for West Demerara, Navendra Sankar took 3-38 off six overs and Udesh Seetaram 1-29 from 5.2.

Batting first, West Demerara made 108 all out from 37.4 overs with Player-of-the-Match Nityanand Mathura taking 3-27 off eight overs.

Neeran Bani, Suresh Sugrim, Tyriq Walters, Alex Datterdeen, Munesh Bacchan and Saif Ragbeer had a wicket each.

Sachin Balgobin with 24 (2x4s, 1×6), Joshua Kisshundial 16 (2x4s) and Sankar 14 were the leading scorers for West Demerara.

Second round games are set for Sunday (April 6) with East Coast having home advantage against East Bank at the Better Hope ground and West Demerara hosting Upper Demerara at Meten-Meer-Zorg.

Bowl off time is 09:30h.