By Marlon Munroe
National under-15 opening batsman Christopher Sattaur stroked an unbeaten 89 worthy of emulation by any batsman at every level in Guyana at present as East Coast Demerara (ECD) romped to a comfortable eight-wicket win over East Bank yesterday in the NALICO/NAFICO 50-over tournament.
Playing on a flat Providence ground with holes and rubbish on the outfield, Sattaur and Kamesh Yadram (21 not out) took their team from 30-2 to 145-2 from 26.2. ECD were replying to EBD’s 143-7 from 40 overs after the match started because the pitch was not fully prepared.
When EBD batted they were struggling on 64-6 before Addel Salim and Kevin Plant put on a 72-run partnership for the seventh wicket before the two finished on 36 not out (3×4) and 35 (3×4) respectively.
Travis Persaud was the pick of the bowlers with 3-18 (6) while Doodnauth Singh (1-7), Oridi Andrews (1-15) and Ryan Chichester (1-25) each picked up a wicket.
ECD started their reply shakily before Captain Sattaur added his touch to the proceedings. Initially, he worked the ball around while Yadram found it hard to get the ball off the square. He played every ball on its merit, grinding the bowlers in the process as he stroked his occasional boundary.
He duly brought up his half century when he drove the diminutive Govida Mondram down the ground for four. Subsequently, he shifted gears and upped the tempo of his innings while Yadram started to look more comfortable showing good technique and clean hitting.
Earlier, in the day when EBD batted they were gifted 38 extras by an ECD attack that was wayward at times. However, the EBD batsmen were equally culpable at times with their ill-advised shots. Salim and Plant, however, fought back and put some pressure back on the ECD bowlers when they went about their stand.
Plant was the more aggressive batsman while Salim was content at working the ball around to keep the score sheet ticking as the two eked out runs in the field. Plant was eventually dismissed as he advanced down the pitch to spinner Sattaur and was stumped in the second to last over of the innings.
Over at Canal No.2 defending champions Georgetown had an early day at the office when they thrashed West Demerara by 141 runs. Georgetown, batting first, piled on 239 all out in 49.3 overs with Martin Bell scoring a resilient 63 which included six fours and three sixes.
Also contributing with the bat were Andrew Gibson (42), son of West Indies batting ace Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tajnarine Chanderpaul (31) and Terrence Alstrom (27). West Demerara’s Chandrika Persaud and Akshaya Persaud were the main wicket takers with 2-30 and 2-42 respectively.
In reply Persaud (20) and Rafeek Nazeer (16) put up the most resistance as their team crumbled for 98 from 23 overs. Steven Sankar returned miserly figures of 3-25 and Dexter George supported with figures of 2-25.
Matches in the competition continue on Monday.