By Calvin Roberts (Guyana Chronicle)
SKIPPER Anthony Adams led from the front with his 7 for 34, which saw the Guyana Cricket Board Developmental XI crumble for 128 in reply to Essequibo’s 232 just before lunch on the second day of their first round Guyana Cricket Board Inter-County four-day tournament at the Demerara Cricket Club ground yesterday.
However, his opposite number Steven Jacobs bowled a tidy line and length to grab 6 for 36, while Kemo Paul bowled with pace and aggression for his 3 for 40. Essequibo, who had a first-innings lead of 104, were bowled out for 163.
Needing to score 268 to record the win, the GCB Developmental XI reached 84 without loss at the close of play, with Shimron Hetmyer on 53 (7×4) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul 27 (2×4). Hetmyer posted his 50 from 70 deliveries and 73 minutes batting, with his seventh four struck off Royan Fredericks.
When play resumes today, the Steven Jacobs-led GCB Developmental XIt will look to score most, if not all of the 184 more runs required to secure the come-from-behind win.
Having dismissed their hosts early, Essequibo started their second innings disastrously when Royan Fredericks was bowled off the second ball without scoring, by Paul, who followed it up with the wicket of Ricardo Peters for 5, to leave the opposition on 20 for 2.
Ricardo Adams and Kevon Boodie added 48 for the third wicket, before Jacobs trapped the former lbw for 25 (4×4), while Boodie got back-to-back fours off Niall Smith, pushing the score to 78 for 3 and the lead to 182, but lost Mark Gonsalves (0) who was caught by a leaping Tagenarine Chanderpaul at short fine leg off Jacobs.
With Jacobs striking twice again for his team, with Boodie 47 (56 balls, 3×6; 2×4) who was dropped by Steven Sankar at extra cover off Paul when on 9 being one of them, Essequibo were 143 for 6 at tea, for an overall lead of 247 runs with Parmesh Parsotam on 47 and Anthony Adams 2.
After the break, the Developmental XI mopped up the tail to bowl out Essequibo for 163, as Jacobs removed Anthony Adams (10) and Mark Tyrell (6) to end with 6 for 36, while Paul knocked back the off-stump of Brian Herbert (2), as he ended with 3 for 40, with Parsotam being run-out in-between, when he attempted a cheeky single for the topscore of 48 (59 balls, 5×4; 1×6).
Earlier in the day, dubious umpiring decisions saw the Developmental XI slip from 91 for 2 to 94 for 6 within the first hour of play, after Shimron Hetmyer and Chandrapaul Hemraj commenced the day’s action on 60 for 1, with Hetmyer on 24 and Hemraj 15.
Hetmyer struck Fredericks for a four in the fourth over of the day’s play and Hemraj followed suit with back-to-back fours off Anthony Adams, pushing the score to 81 before Hemraj 29 (4×4) was bowled by Adams pushing forward to a straight delivery.
David Latchaya looked sound and confident, especially when he stroked Fredericks nonchalantly through extra cover for four to open his account, but was unfortunate to be given out lbw to one from Adams that struck him high on the thigh pad after pitching outside the leg stump.
Further disaster faced the Developmental XI, when Hetmyer, in his attempt to clear mid-wicket, picked out Peters off Hemchand Persaud, after posting 42 (83 balls, 1×4, 1×6) to leave his side on 93 for 4, a wicket that was followed quickly by the fall of Jacobs and Paul who both made 1, to hand Adams his fifth victim.
Yatesh Dhanpaul and Kemol Savory fought fire with fire for their team by hitting both Adams and Persaud for sixes over extra cover, with Dhanpaul’s maximum posting the 100 for his team, while he later struck Persaud over long off for another six before he was caught at deep cover by Peters three balls later off Persaud.
It moved from dangerous to worst for the Developmental side, when Kellon Carmichael was given out caught at the wicket by Boodie from an Adams delivery which pitched and left the batsman, without touching anything, before Adams wrapped up proceedings with the wicket off Steven Sankar (4), leaving Niall Smith unbeaten on 4.
At the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Demerara resumed the day on 320 for 3, with Rajendra Chandrika on 138 and Christopher Barnwell 2 and saw two overs bowled before rain forced the players off the field.
When the action resumed Demerara lost Barnwell who was caught at the wicket off Royston Crandon for 25 (2×4) at 371 for 4, leaving Shemroy Barrington and Chandrika who had progressed to 166 at Barnwell’s demise, to push the score past the 400-run mark.
Barrington was next to go, caught by Devon Clements off Veerasammy Permaul for 11, while Berbice finally managed to remove Chandrika for 219 (363 balls, 24×4, 1×6) at 442 for 6, at which point Demerara declared their first innings closed, with Zaheer Mohammed unbeaten on 6.
National fast bowler Raun Johnson who took 4 for 68 was the best bowler for the Berbicians who, in their turn at the crease, reached 130 for 5 off 46.5 overs, when stumps were pulled with Jonathan Foo topscoring with 51 (122 balls, 5×4) before he was the last man out.
This was after his side lost Jason Sinclair (2), Clements (1), Crandon (7) and Kandasammy Surujnarine (22), to be 54 for 4, before Foo and Anthony Bramble who was unbeaten on 38 (85 balls, 6×4) at the close, added 76 for the fifth wicket, when bad light stop play at Foo’s demise.