An unbeaten half century from former national under-19 opener Rajindra Chandrika (71*, 2×4;1×6) guided Steven Jacobs’ XI to a six-wicket victory over Travis Dowlin’s XI in the first trial match organized by the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) yesterday at the Everest Cricket Club ground.
Taking first strike in the 50-overs-a-side encounter that is being used as a yardstick to select the Demerara side to contest the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) El Dorado sponsored 50 overs Inter- County competition, Dowlin’s XI were limited to 157 from their 50 overs to which Jacobs’ XI replied with 158-4 from 37 overs.
In Dowlin’s XI innings, the batsmen failed to apply themselves on a two-pace wicket and crumbled to the bowling of former national under-19 captain Jacobs who took 3-25 from his 10 overs, including the wickets of Orin Forde and Ravi Sarwan who were both caught and bowled for 22 and 17 respectively.
Apart from Forde, only Surujpaul Deosarran (28* 1×4) who added 31 runs for the eighth wicket with Dion Ferrier (05) and was also involved in a 30-run partnership with Sarwan, the younger brother of West Indies vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, was able to past the 20-run mark.
Dion Crew offered good support to Jacobs with the ball claiming 2-18 from five overs, but the day belonged to Chandrika, who was a member of the West Indies under-19 training squad for the ICC Youth World Cup.
He featured in two partnerships, adding 36 runs for the third wicket with Jacobs who returned with the bat to score 25 and 66 for the fourth wicket with another former national under-19 player in Krishna Deosarran who made 33 from 45 balls, decorated with one four.
He mixed aggression with sound defence after being mis-stumped by wicketkeeper Joseph Perry off the bowling of Clinton Collins, hitting Surujpaul Deosarran all along the ground for four, while he posted his 50 in fine style when he struck former national under-15 left arm spinner Emran Khan out of the ground for the lone six of the game off his 86th delivery.
He lost Deosarran in the 36th over, when he struck a delivery back to national under-19 left arm spinner Totaram Bishun, but in partnership with Travis Blyden, saw Jacob’s XI home to victory with 13 overs to spare.
Collins who took the prized wicket of Jacobs was the pick of the bowlers with 1-19. The limited overs inter-county will now commence on 27th September instead of the 6th, which gives the DCB senior selection panel the opportunity to organize another trial match after today’s second at the same venue from 09:30hrs.