By Calvin Roberts
A good all round performance from Georgetown Cricket Club’s Jeetendra Sookdeo (34 and 5-20) led Demerara to a resounding and revengeful 58 runs victory over Essequibo in the first game of the Guyana Cricket Board(GCB)/ GTM sponsored Inter County Under-19 50 overs cricket competition at the Police Sports club ground Eve Leary yesterday.
After losing the toss and being asked to take first strike on a fast batting track in a game which got started 110 minutes late due to seepage from early morning rain, Demerara led by a responsible 57 from left handed opener Trevon Griffith who along with Sookdeo posted 74 runs for the second wicket, were bowled out for 171 from their 40 overs before restricting Essequibo to 113 despite a fighting 52 (88 balls 6x4s) from their captain Royan Fredericks.
Fredericks must have felt justified after inserting his opponents when debutant fast bowler Triston Massena had Ryan Rajmangal (00) lbw in the second over with the score on 11. But some sensible batting from Griffith who struck four fours and one six off Fredericks and Sookdeo who counted two fours and one six also off Fredericks, helped restore some order to the defending champions’ batting.
The left handed pair consolidated their partnership with some positive running between the wickets which left the Cinderella County team bemused at times. When the bowlers bowled short or loose, they were dispatched with disdain.
One such shot played by Sookdeo off Massena that went all along the ground for four brought rapturous applause from his team mates. Griffith bettered it with an exquisite cover drive off Ravindra Parsram who was bowling medium pace that seared the field on its way to the boundary.
The Demerara 50 was realized from 9.5 overs courtesy of another one of Griffith’s drive through mid off. However, just as they looked set to be consolidating their partnership and team’s position, Sookdeo was out caught by Fredericks at short midwicket off Royston Alkins (3-31).
His departure along with that of Elon Fernandes (00) who was bowled by Alkins and debutant Calvin Sookraj (06) did not deter Griffith who continued to bat positively as he was bent on getting a big score. He posted his 50 with a straight drive back along the ground off Fredericks from the 80th ball that he faced.
However, in his attempt to increase the scoring rate for his team, he lost his wicket when he struck one back straight to Fredericks who gleefully accepted the offer. At 113-6 in the 30th over Demerara were beginning to display some resemblance of their indisciplined batting approach they displayed in the three-day format of this competition.
Some lusty hitting from captain Denver Greaves (19) and fast bowler Andre Stoll (13) who posted 29 runs for the seventh wicket helped restore some pride to the batting, but after Stoll went stumped by wicket keeper Parmeshwar Neel off Parsram who was bowling off spin at this stage shortly after hitting the same bowler for six, the rest of the batting fell away.
Parsram ended with 2-38 offering good support to Alkins 3-31 bowling for Essequibo who found themselves in a spot of bother when they began their reply as Stoll who was extracting lots of bounce and swing from the wicket with his left arm medium fast bowling, had Mark Austin superbly taken by Greaves at the wicket for one.
It must have been a relief for Essequibo when Stoll left the field of play after being affected by a toe injury that he sustained in the final round of the three day competition after an impressive spell of left arm fast bowling with figures reading 4-2-8-1.
Parsram and Heyliger capitalized on his absence to add 20 for the second wicket before Parsram was removed by medium pacer Balvindra Persaud for 5. It was at this point that Greaves introduced Sookdeo into the attack and the right arm spinner did not disappoint as he immediately removed Heyliger courtesy of a running catch taken by Griffith who had to move from short midwicket to just beyond the 50-metre circle to complete the catch.
Fredericks who had earlier turned debutant left handed orthodox bowler Dennis Legay off his legs for successive boundaries to fine leg, raised his 50 whilst batting with Heyliger, posted his 50 with a straight drive off Sookdeo down to long off. However, in his attempt to go over the top, he only succeeded in getting the ball as far as midwicket where Griffith once again held onto the offer.
He made 52 from 88 balls and struck six fours during his sojourn, but with his demise at 91-4 in the 27th over went his team’s hopes of pulling off another upset victory over their opponents. Sookdeo in association with Sookraj destroyed the lower batting order of their opponents as the Demerara team showed no signs of complacency.
Even Greaves their captain and wicket keeper helped maintained the momentum caused by Sookdeo when he pulled off two lightning fast stumpings to get rid of Oyano Sampson and Massena respectively off Sookraj. The end came in the 35th over when Edwin Burnett picked out substitute fielder Rajendra Nikbarran at long off off Sookdeo with his team 58 runs short of their target. Sookraj ended with 2-21 and together with Stoll (1-8) and Persaud (1-15) offered adequate support to Sookdeo.
The competition will continue tomorrow with Berbice taking on Essequibo at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground from 0930hrs.
