Travis Dowlin struck his fifth Inter-County century and second in succession as Demerara (378-7 dec.) and Berbice (44-1) were locked in a keen battle at the end of a rain hit second day in their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) senior Inter County four-day cricket match at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.
With play starting 15 minutes late owing to a soggy outfield, Demerara resumed on their overnight 296-5 with captain Travis Dowlin on 64 and his Demerara Cricket Club team mate Chris Barnwell on 38. Together they took their partnership value to 150 with Dowlin hitting for six over long-on,to past his team’s 300 the first delivery he faced for the day to which was coincidentally the first ball bowled in the second over by Devendra Bishu.
The two continued from where they left off on the previous day with some sensible batting and running between the wickets. Barnwell duly reached his 50 when he turned a short ball from Esaun Crandon through forward square.
He faced 97 balls and counted six fours during his 144 minutes of batting. But the clouds opened and the players had to hustle off the field as rain stopped play with Demerara on 343-5 after the 14th over of the day with Dowlin on 94 and Barnwell 54. The entire post lunch session and one hour after tea were lost, despite the pitch being dry but the outfield soggy in some areas. A total of 232 minutes or 55 overs was lost in the day’s play. Upon resumption, the 30-year-old Dowlin signalled his intention to go for quick runs. He reached his fifth century and second in succession with a drive through cover off the bowling of Imran Jafferally, that beat the diving Esaun Crandon.
He faced 187 balls and batted for 234 minutes striking 12 fours and two sixes in the process.
However, Jafferally had the last laugh when he had Dowlin stumped by wicket-keeper Delbert Hicks off a delivery that kept low and rolled. All in all, Dowlin, who helped post 150 for the sixth wicket off 249 balls decorated with 14 fours and two sixes from 169minutes with Barnwell, batted for 235 minutes faced 188 balls and counted 12 fours and two sixes in his 102. At his demise, Demerara were 353-6. Zaheer Mohammed joined Barnwell who decided to take up the mantle of senior man at the wicket and the runs hunt continued with Barnwell who played the anchor role to his skipper hitting Veerasammy Permaul for two huge consecutive sixes over long on in what turned out to be the final over of Demerara’s first innings. Permaul was not to be outdone as he accounted for Mohammed who was caught by substitute Ranga Lachigadu on the mid wicket boundary as he attempted to hit the bowler out of the ground.
He faced six balls and batted for nine minutes for his four, leaving Barnwell who faced 124 balls during his 182 minutes stay at the wicket hitting six fours and two sixes, unbeaten on 77 as Demerara declared their first innings closed on 378-7 after 107.5 overs. All told, Demerara batted 17.5 overs and posted 82 runs whilst losing two wickets. There were two wickets each for Jafferally (2-70), Permaul (2-72) and Bishu (2-119) with E. Crandon taking (1-70) bowling for Berbice. In reply, the defending champions who need only to draw this game to retain their championship got a brisk start from openers former Guyana and West Indies under-19 Richard Ramdeen who replaced Maxie De Jonge and Delbert Hicks as they posted 38 runs for the first wicket. They were both severe on fast bowler Rayon Griffith, the former driving Griffith back over mid on for four and Hicks slashing a wide delivery over the three-man slip cordon also for four. However, Dowlin introduced his main spin bowler made available to him, Mohammed after only five overs were bowled and he did not disappoint.
He troubled the batsmen as he was not afraid to flight the ball something the spinners from the Ancient County were not doing, causing anxious moments on and off the field .It was during this period that he struck, removing Hicks for 13. The batsman may have never heard the old adage that says “never go back to a spinner’ and chose to do just that to Mohammed who got one to turn and hit the stumps leaving Hicks who faced 35 balls and struck one four during his 39 minutes stay at the wicket dumbfounded.
The in-form Assad Fudadin who scored a double century against Essequibo in the first round, joined Ramdeen. But after seeing the Berbicians enduring some anxious moments against Mohammed including Fudadin who was missed being bowled as he drove at a delivery from wide outside his off stump, the umpires offered lights which the batsmen happily accepted at 1714 h with Berbice on 44-1. Ramdeen will resume his innings on 21 made off 28 deliveries and decorated with two fours whilst Fudadin is on four from nine balls. Mohammed has so far taken 1-10 from his four overs of spin with the new ball.
Play is set to resume at 0930h today.