By Zaheer Mohamed (Kaieteur News)
Travis Persaud plays through the offside during his top score25
Berbice are in a strong position for first innings points against the President’s XI in their first round game of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) inter county U-19 three-day tournament. In reply to the President’s XI first innings total of 138, Berbice were 97-2 in 25 overs at stumps on the opening day yesterday at the Enmore Community Centre ground.
Opener Shimron Hetymer, who is not out on 64 (8×4) and Akshay Homraj (16*), saw Berbice to the close with an unbroken third wicket stand of 40 after they lost Balchan Basdeo (08) at 29 and David Latchaya (06) with the score on 57. Hetymer flicked medium pacer Ronaldo Mohamed for six over square leg before thumping his very next delivery for four in the same region to get his innings going in the second over. He executed a number of lovely shots on both sides of the pitch and reached his fifty off 68 balls.
Moriah has so far taken 1-24 and Ershad Ali 1-26.
Earlier, the President’s XI were bowled out in 71.4 overs just after tea after they were inserted by Berbice. Pacer Niall Smith got the breakthrough when he uprooted the stumps of Ryan Shun (10) with one that came back into the right hander with the score on 16. Sunil Singh (20) and Aviskhar Sewkarran (16) featured in a second wicket stand of 46 with level headed batting in brilliant sunshine.
However, the Berbicians were rewarded for consistent bowling when both batsmen fell in the space of two runs, leaving the score at 64-3.Travis Persaud and Vishwanauth Ramlakhan (15) added 36 for the fourth wicket, but when Ramlakhan went for 15, the President’s XI suffered a mini collapse which saw them losing their last five wickets for 38 runs.
Apart from Persaud who top scored with 31 (2×4), no other batsman managed to reach double figures. Off spinner Sharaz Ramcharran grabbed 4-10, while Viendra Gooniah claimed 2-21 and Arif Chan 2-17.