By Calvin Roberts
Defending champions Demerara and Berbice played to a tame draw in their final round clash of the Guyana Cricket Board’s/Guyana and Trinidad Mutual-sponsored Inter-County under-19 cricket competition which ended yesterday at the Demerara Cricket Club ground, Queenstown.
The result ensured the Berbicians of the championship trophy since Demerara, who surprisingly lost to Essequibo in their opening round, needed to win this match outright.
Needing to score 261 to win from 29 overs including the mandatory 15 overs in the final hour after bowling out Demerara for 228 in their second innings, Berbice were 94-2 at stumps with Manoj Pooranauth unbeaten on 36 (6×4) and Michael Felix 15 not out (2×4).
Earlier, Demerara, resuming on 17 without loss, quickly lost opener Troy Nurse after the batsman edged the second delivery he faced from fast bowler Colin Duke to Seon Hetymyer at first slip.
First innings centurion Balvindra Persaud and Rajendra Nikbarran posted 63 runs before Nikbarran was adjudged lbw to Berbice captain Eugene La Fleur.
A further 53 runs was posted between Persaud, who reached his 50 when he pushed La Fleur to the vacant short cover for an easy single and Ranole Bourne for the third wicket.
Persaud’s 50 came off 88 balls and he struck five fours and two sixes as Demerara went to lunch comfortably placed on 121-2 with Persaud, who had struck Keon Joseph over midwicket for six after passing his 50 on 60, and Bourne on six for an overall lead of 153.
After lunch, Persaud continued to punish the bowlers who were guilty of bowling too short and wide at times.
Meanwhile, Bourne lost his patience and was magnificently caught by wicket -keeper Anthony Bramble for 12 off Duke who was extracting some bounce off the lively Queenstown track.
Persaud was joined by captain Denver Greaves who was timing the ball sweetly whilst playing some audacious drives on both sides of the wicket.
Things looked bleak for the Berbicians, but Foo, introduced into the attack, struck immediately when Persaud held out to Alex Amsterdam at long-off.
His 75 came off 120 balls and he struck eight fours and three sixes during his 154-minute stay at the crease.
His effort earned him the best batsman of the series award and his departure at 153-4 opened the flood gates as Foo, who took a magnificent return catch low to his left to send back Greaves (23; 1×4,1×6), went to work.
He induced Keon Lake to hole out to long on where Eon Hooper took a comfortable catch and from the relatively strong position of 133-3, Demerara were 178-6.
It soon became 190-7 when Totaram Bishun was caught by substitute fielder, Sahadeo Somai at backwardpoint as he attempted to square cut a short delivery from Foo.
Fast bowler Leon Scott came off the mark by hitting Foo over midwicket for six but the bowler got the last laugh when he had him caught by Hooper at long on.
Andre Stoll was bowled by Stephen Latcha for one and despite some late order hitting by Jeetendra Sookdeo, who was batting with a runner at number seven, due to an ankle injury, Demerara could only manage 228 as Sookdeo too was bowled by Latcha.
Foo ended with 5-63 whilst Latcha grabbed 2-18 and Duke 2-47.
When Berbice began their run chase knowing that a draw was needed to claim the title, a fired-up Stoll uprooted the stumps of Hooper with a delivery that pitched and left him and had a confident caught behind appeal off Foo turned down.
Foo fought fire with fire by belting the Demerara bowlers for three fours and one six during his brief stay before he was removed by Hamilton as he attempted to hit the bowler out of the ground.
Pooranauth and Felix then steadied the innings with a 55-run partnership before the umpires called play for the day.
Stoll ended with 1-14 whilst Hamilton took 1-19.
Foo was named Player of the Series. He took 5-63 in the Demerara second innings to add to his first innings haul of 3-59.
He also took a match haul of 8-58 against Essequibo for a series tally of 16-180 runs which earned him the best bowler of the series prize.
He also compiled 147 runs.
Persaud, was adjudged the best batsman of the series for his innings of 115 and 75 in this game. He did not play in the opening encounter against Essequibo.
