Left arm spinner Akieni Adams grabbed four wickets for 32 runs while Keemo Paulmade use of a good pitch, cracking a fine half century to lead Essequibo to a three-wicket win over Berbice when the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Raj Singh Insurance Brokers Inter-County Under-19 50-over tournament continued yesterday.
Berbice recovered from 116-7 to post 219 all out in 37.4 overs batting first at Everest Cricket Club. Paul provided Essequibo with the breakthrough when he induced Leon Andrews (04) to nick a delivery to wicket-keeper Nathan Persaud, before Balchand Baldeo and Shimron Hetymer repaired the early damage with a second wicket stand of 76.
Keemo Paul accepts his prize from selector Nazium Drepaul
Baldeo deposited pacer Neilan Cadogan for a maximum before Hetymer drove Paul for boundaries. Baldeo struck two fours and one six before he was bowled by Adams for 33 off 41 balls.
Adams then removed Samuel Kishnasammy (00) and Hetymer in quick succession to leave the score at 89-4. Hetymer made 31 off 35 balls with six fours. The Berbicians continued to find the going tough against Adams and off-spinner Looknauth Chinkoo as they lost three more wickets for 27 runs – Clifton Lindie (10), Parmanand Ramdhan (18) and Daniel Lewis (02).
But Kassim Khan propped up his team’s total with a robust 52 which came off 34 deliveries. The right-hander smashed four fours and five sixes as he added 69 for the eight-wicket with Retesh Umroa (16). Zachary Persaud chipped in with 21 not out as Chinkoo picked up with 3-34 and Keano Harry 2-46.
Grisean Grant had Parmesh Parsotam (08) caught at the wicket as Essequibo’s reply got off to a shaky start before Paul and Nathan Persaud steadied the chase with a second wicket partnership of 101.
The pair mixed caution with aggression as Paul drove Grant elegantly through cover before cutting Baldeo to the point boundary while Persaud got into his stride with a towering six off Zachary Persaud.
Paul continued to gather runs and smashed Persaud and Baldeo for fours before reaching his half century with a boundary off Daniel Lewis; his fifty came off 69 balls. Persaud was given a chance off Ramdhan when on 34, but was needlessly run out for 44 (3×4 2×6).
Paul soon followed caught at the wicket by Umroa off Baldeo for 69 (10×4) before David Williams (00) was bowled by Khan, leaving the score at 137-4. After Paul’s demise, Essequibo was largely indebted to Travis Drakes and Neilan Cadogan.
Drakes added 45 with Sachin Persaud (06) before sharing in a sixth-wicket partnership of 35 with Cadogan. Berbice didn’t give up without fight, their bowlers didn’t bowl that badly, but it was the power-hitting of Drakes and Cadogan that gave Essequibo a positive result.
Drakes hoisted Baldeo for sixes while Cadogan slammed Ramdhan for boundaries as they inched their team closer to safety. With 26 required from four overs, Drakes and Cadogan smashed Baldeo for maximums before Baldeo bowled them both in the one over, but Harry (06*) formalized the result with a huge six off Baldeo over mid-wicket.
Drakes scored 47 (2×4 5×6) and Cadogan 18; Essequibo ended on 224-7 in 47.2 overs. Baldeo was the pick of the bowlers with 3-59 while Paul was given the man-of-the-match award.
Travis Persaud launches into a big shot during his 73
Over at Police ground, it was one of the most brutal innings played at the Under-19 in local cricket and those who were not at the ground yesterday missed a truly memorable innings of explosive power-hitting.
On a flat track, a small straight boundary and a lightning fast outfield, Sherfane Rutherford set the place on fire with a destructive unbeaten 19-ball 70 to help Demerara to a 66-run victory over the National Under-17s in the second round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Raj Singh Insurance sponsored 50-over under-19 Inter-County Cricket tournament.
There was no dawn in Rutherford’s innings as he began at high noon and scored 68 of his runs in boundaries as he completely dominated an 80-run unfinished fourth wicket stand with opener Tevin Imlach who scored 131 not out, but contributed only four runs to the partnership.
Skipper Travis Persaud supported with an elegant 73 to see Demerara to a record 326-4 when their 50 overs expired in sweltering heat. The Under-17s replying to the highest total ever made in an Under-19 Inter-County one-day game, reached a respectable 260-9. Six batsmen passed 25 but none could go on to score a half-century for the U-17s.
Rutherford returned with the ball to capture 2-50 and got support from Tariq Dharamlall (2-32) as Demerara, the defending champions, registered their second consecutive win already assuring their place in Saturday’s final with a final game to play tomorrow.
Rutherford, who turns 17 in August and hails from Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara, joined Imlach when Travis Persaud clipped Mohamed (2-50) to short mid-wicket after hitting three fours and four sixes in a delightful 77-ball inning with the score on 246-4 and unleashed a murderous assault on the hapless bowlers as sixes rained everywhere.
The left-handed Rutherford, who bowls right-arm pace, followed up his 96-ball 71 when he opened the batting against Berbice at Enterprise on Monday and took 88 balls to reach 50 but yesterday it was a totally contrasting knock as, given the license to play with freedom at number five, the powerful all-rounder proceed the flay the bowlers to all parts of the ground.
Rutherford’s hurricane 70 ensured that the last five overs of the innings produced 92 runs after they only managed 100 in the first 30 overs. Renaldo Renee was LBW for a duck by Mohamed at 3-1 and off-spinner Arif Ali (2-33) had removed Vivian Albert (26) and Akshaya Persaud (1) as the host slipped to 58-3.
Imlach and his captain built a solid foundation for a big score with their 188-run stand but Rutherford, who pounded pacer Timothy McCalmont for 31 runs in one over, helped his team post a far bigger total than they had anticipated.
Umpire Ryan Banwari saved McCalmont from more punishment when the pacer, who had earlier bowled a ‘Beemer’, sent down another high full toss with the first delivery of the final over and was rightly ejected from the attack, and Rutherford duly reached his half-century in the last over.
When the National U-17s began their reply they were off to a good start as Baskar Yadram, who smashed six fours and a six in an attractive 32, added 52 for the first wicket with Raymond Perez (33) before he threw his wicket away with a cross batted shot to Rutherford, who opened the bowling and was taken at mid-off.
Every top order batsman except McCalmont (4) got starts but failed to build on them as the U-17s scored at a fast clip but just could not keep up the momentum since they all failed to occupy the crease for longer periods.
Yadram, Perez, Adrian Sukhwa (31), Gavin Boodwah (35), Mohamed (27), Ramnarine Chaturia (39) and Ashmead Nedd (20) all wasted good starts. The tournament continues tomorrow with final round matches. Demerara face Essequibo at Enmore and the National U-17s play Berbice at Police.
(Taken from Guyana Chronicle)