Foo carts off all individual awards
Defending champions Ber-bice easily retained their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/GTM-sponsored Under-19 Inter-county three-day title, after their match against Demerara petered out into a tame draw at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday.
After rain prevented any play for the first two sessions, resulting in 270 minutes being lost for the day, Demerara who resumed on 69-7 and an overall lead of 74 runs, quickly lost Seon Daniels who was run out in his attempt to steal a cheeky single for 5 when the score was 81, before they were bowled out for 108.
Needing to score 114 to complete a come-from-behind victory after losing first innings points to their opponents, Berbice were shakily placed on 32-3 when bad light stopped play at 17:21hrs.
Scores in the game, Demerara 216 and 108; Berbice 211 and 32-3.
Berbice must have been harbouring thoughts of an easy victory after Daniels’ demise, but were held up by overnight batsman Amir Khan who top scored with 35 and Totaram Bishun (14 not out), as the two added 14 valuable runs for the ninth wicket.
Khan who resumed on his overnight score of 18, showed grit and determination as he defied the defending champions bowling, batting for 162 balls and hitting three fours, before he was bowled by Joemal La Fleur at 95-9.
Last batsman Ricardo Devers (01) delayed the rout for 25 balls before he too was bowled by Trinson Carmichael, leaving Bishun unbeaten on five. For Berbice Jonathan Foo (3-37), Carmichael (2-5) and Sahadeo Somai (2-33) did the damage with the ball and the Ancient County was left with a victory target of 114 from four overs plus the mandatory 15 in the final hour of play.
Berbice got off to a rollicking start, when former national Under-15 skipper Harrinarine Chattergoon struck left arm fast bowler Andre Stoll exquisitely through extra cover for four, before he was superbly taken by Khan at gully off a thick outside edge from the next delivery.
La Fleur and Eon Hooper took the score to 14, with Hooper hitting Stoll through point, followed by another outside edge past wicketkeeper Dexter Solomon to third man for successive boundaries to end the first over of their team’s innings.
But La Fleur whose elder brother and former national Under-19 skipper Eugene lifted the same trophy for Berbice at the same venue last year, was adjudged lbw to Daniels for one, whilst Hooper also went via the lbw route to Demerara’s skipper Rajendra Nikbarran for 13 to leave Berbice precariously placed on 20-3.
But Foo who had punched Stoll through extra cover off the back foot for four in his unbeaten 10 and Seon Hetmyer, who was on one, took the offer for bad light thus ensuring the trophy returns to the Ancient County.
Nikbarran (1-1), Daniels (1-6) and Stoll 1-19 tried in vain to see their team to the outright victory they needed to wrest the trophy from Berbice.
At the simple presentation ceremony which followed, president of the GCB Chetram Singh told the players that he was not impressed with the batting performances and stated that they need to improve on same, if Guyana is to be a formidable force in this year’s regional Under-19 tournament.
“I don’t know if the bowling was too good or you the batsmen were not concentrating hard enough. What I do know and make no bones about it, is better needs to be done by you the batsmen, if Guyana is to be a formidable force in this year’s regional tournament.”
Singh further stated, “Congratulations to Berbice for retaining the title, whilst to Demerara, I must say best of luck next time. But with regards to the batsmen, there was only one, Berbice’s Jonathan Foo who was a standout and certainly is a guarantee on the team this year, his final year at this level.”
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GTM Roger Yee congratulated Berbice on retaining the title. He urged Demerara to come back fighting harder next year, whilst at the same time, extended his salutations to Foo, who he charged to strive for excellence.
Foo was later named the best batsman, bowler and the man of the series, for his 157 runs and 23 wickets, including 15 against Essequibo.
Meanwhile, the national junior selection panel led by Michael Franco announced a 26-man squad for trials commencing next Tuesday weather permitting, at a venue to be named.
Amongst those included are Foo, Trevon Griffith, Jeetendra Sookdeo, Seon Hetmyer, Royston Alkins, Anthony Bramble, Keon Joseph, Keyron Fraser and Totaram Bishun, all members of the Guyana/TCL Under-19 team which participated and ended as runners-up to host Barbados in last year’s tournament.
The full 26 who will be vying for a place on the Hubern Evans-coached and Alvin Johnson-managed team are: Foo, Griffith, Sookdeo, Hetmyer, Alkins, Bramble, Joseph, Fraser, Bishun, Ryan Rajmangal, Amir Khan, Rajendra Nikbarran, Dexter Solomon, Andre Stoll, Seon Daniels, Quincy Richardson, Sahadeo Somai, Manoj Pooranauth, Alex Amsterdam, Eon Hooper, Ravindra Parsram, Herrell Greene, Navin Singh, Anthony Adams, Rensford Beaton and Floyd Henry.
