By Zaheer Mohamed (Kaieteur News)

The President’s XI defeated Essequibo by 45 runs in their opening round match of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter County Under-19 50 overs tournament yesterday at the Everest Cricket Club ground.
The President’s XI posted 214-7 off their reduced 38 overs due to rain after they were inserted by Essequibo who were restricted for 173 in 35.3 overs in reply.
Openers Ryan Shun and Sunil Singh gave the President’s XI a solid start with a first wicket stand of 51. The pair started cautiously before unleashing a number of handsome shots on both sides of the pitch.
Akini Adams gave Essequibo the breakthrough when he trapped Singh LBW for 18, but Shun added a further 53 for the second wicket with Aviskhar Sewkarran to set the tone for a challenging total.
Sewkarran timed the ball well, but in an effort to step up the scoring rate, he was caught off Akil Wallace for 31 (2×4). Parmesh Parsotam then accounted for Nick Ramsaroop (04) to leave the score at 108-3.
Shun soon brought up his fifty off 83 balls with four fours and a six before he was dismissed for 60 at 141. Wallace then sent back Damian Waldron (06), but Ronaldo Mohamed smashed five fours and two sixes in scoring 58 off 45 balls to stabilize the innings before he was caught by wicketkeeper Ryan Adams off the lively Kemo Paul at 198-6.
Gavin Moriah (01) and Rension Mitchell (06) were the batsmen to be dismissed while Yekini Favourite was left not out on nine. Paul was the pick of the bowlers with 2-18 off three overs while Wallace claimed 2-55 off eight and Parsotam 2-56 from seven.
Due to the interruption, Essequibo were asked to score 224 to win due to the Duckworth Lewis method. Avinash Persaud thumped left arm seamer Gavin Moriah through cover in the opening over and caressed Mohamed for fours in the second to get his team going.
However, his opening partner Shivendra Hemraj (02) flashed at a wide delivery from Moriah and was caught by wicketkeeper Kareem Mentore at 17 in the third over. Persaud and Paul kept their team in the hunt with a second wicket stand of 64.
Paul drove Moriah through point for four to get off the mark and slammed him to the cover boundary the very next delivery. He then pulled Favourite over mid wicket for a maximum while Persaud gradually grew in confidence and took boundaries off Mohamed and Favourite.
Paul then tried to cut a delivery too close to his body and lost his stumps to Shun for 23 (2×4 1×6) before leg spinner Ershad Ali bowled Mahendra Balbadar (00) to leave Essequibo in trouble at 92-3.
Persaud continued to take the attack to the bowlers and reached his well deserved half century off 59 balls with seven fours and one six before he was dismissed for 60 (9×4 1×6). Ali then uprooted the stumps of Parsotam (16) before Travis Drakes (01) was caught at long on at 133-6. Essequibo lost Ryan Adams (03) and Keano Harry (05) before Wallace and Adams added 26 for the ninth wicket.
Wallace who was eventually bowled by Moriah for 17, slammed one four and two maximums; off spinner Damion Waldron formalized the victory by bowling Jamal Hartman (00) leaving Adams unbeaten on 19 (3×4). Man of the match Shun and Ali were the main wicket takers with three scalps each.