The Guyana Cricket Board and Hand in Hand Mutual Fire Insurance Company Limited Under-19 Inter County One Day 50 overs Tournament, continued with its second round of matches on Wednesday 31 May 2017.
The second round witnessed wins for Demerara and Select Under-19.
Over at the National Stadium- Providence, play commenced at 09 00 hours, with Berbice being inserted to take first strike. The Berbice Under-19 team had a somewhat mixed approach, which demonstrated some levels of constructiveness coupled with some amount of indecisiveness. However, Berbice was able to amass 197 for 9 off their allotted 50 overs.
Batting for Berbice, middle order batsman Javid Karim top scored with a brilliant 74, which included 11 fours. Karim was ably assisted by Mathews Hardial 26 and Kevin Sinclair 16. Bowling for Demerara, Ronaldo Alimohamed grabbed 4 for 46 off 9 penetrative overs, while Bhaksar Yadram took 3 for 46 off 9 of valuable medium pace overs.
In reply Demerara, found themselves in early bother when national youth Raymond Perez was dismissed by Javid Karim with the score on 4.
However, West Indies Under-19 Selectees Bhaskar Yadram and Joshua Persaud consolidated to propel the score to 102 for 2, before Joshua Persaud was caught for 43 off Emmanuel Secharran from the second delivery of the 24 over.
Bhaskar Yadram and Gavin Budwah then took Demerara to victory as they reached 203 for 2. Bhaskar Yadarm stroked polished unbeaten 121, which included 15 fours and 3 sixes, while Budwah was 22 not out. Demerara won by 8 wickets.
Over at the Police Sports Club, play commenced at 13 30 hours due to early morning showers which required some drying of the outfield. The Select Under-17 won the toss and elected to bat. Their decision proved a worthwhile one, as openers Sachin Singh and Alex Algoo posted 157 for the first wicket, before Sachin Singh was run out for 52. His innings included 5 fours and 3 sixes.
However, the show of the day went to Alex Algoo who blasted 119 before he was adjudged LBW trying to heave a delivery from Mahendra Persaud which he missed and was struck on the back foot, clearly in front of middle stump.
Algoo’s century included 9 fours and 10 sixes. Essequibo bowlers then made favourable use of the Select Under-17 attempts to post a mammoth total, taking a number of quick wickets in Essequibo’s process to gain quick runs, as the Select Under-17 plummeted from 205 for 1 to 222 for 7 off their allotted 28 overs.
Mahendra Persaud was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 29 off 4 overs, while there was one each for Mark Williams, Joshua Jones and Quintin Sampson.

In reply, Essequibo made a miserable start, losing two quick wickets within their first 4 overs with the score only on 16. Nevertheless, Mahendra Persaud and Stephon Campbell then combined to take Essequibo’s score to 104 before the third wicket of Mahendra Persaud fell for a well-played 59. Kurt Lovell then joined Campbell to competitively guide the run chase, taking the score to 138 before the demise of Lovell’s wickets. Joshua Jones then walked to the crease and ably supported Campbell in the run chase, as the Select Under-17 appeared to lose their nerves in an extended period of high tension.
However, Gevon Schultz strikes when he induced a fault’s stroke from Stephon Campbell, to have him caught at deep square leg, trying to hit the ball out of the park. Campbell wicket was soon followed by three other quick wickets inclusive of Joshua Jones for 33. Essequibo finished off with a total of 208. Select Under 17 won by 14 runs.
The third and final preliminary round will be played tomorrow at the National Stadium Providence and Everest Ground. Demerara will oppose Berbice from 09 30 hours while the Select U- 17 will play Essequibo from 09 00 hours.