Demerara regained the GTM three-day title yesterday after their match against Berbice ended in a tame draw at the Eve Leary ground. Berbice needed an outright victory to retain the title.
However, the day’s proceedings before the final result were nowhere near as dull or as tame as the final session of play, when Demerara batsmen Kwame Crosse and Clevon Hyman proved as exciting as watching paint dry. They showed no eagerness to score runs that were there to be had from bad deliveries, and in some instances when the Berbice bowlers were quite uninspired.
Crosse eventually was left not out on 45 from 203 balls which spanned 188 minutes as he stroked four fours; Hyman was also there at the end, after their team had batted 97 overs, on 24 (2×4) which took 174 minutes and 178 balls to accomplish. Demerara reached 167-3 at the close after clearing a 101-run deficit accrued after Berbice made 208-8 declared in their first innings yesterday.
West Indies under-19 pace bowler Keon ‘Buffy’ Joseph and Raun Johnson of Berbice, sparked some life into the play after the second new ball was introduced for the last six overs of the match. Both pacers, more particularly Joseph, bowled with some venom.
He threw in a few well directed short-pitched deliveries, and this seemed to rile up the batsmen who played some classy shots in response. Joseph ended with 1-50 from his 13 overs while the more economical Lloydel Lewis and captain Harrinarine Chattergoon ended with figures of 1-7 (14) and 1-13 (9) respectively.
Earlier in Demerara’s second innings Quincy Ovid-Richardson, who top scored in his team’s first innings with 26, picked up where he left off with a resilient 56 that included nine fours from 113 minutes, after his team-mate and leg spinner Amir Khan recorded the best game figures of 6-58 from his 22 overs to better Berbice’s leg spinner Shawn Pereira’s 5-18.
Khan’s magnificent match figures had to be delayed since overnight batsmen Dominic Rikhi (25*) and Chattergoon (54*) posted a 104-run second wicket stand. The two continued to control the pace of the game and their batting looked as purposeful as the day before, especially since it was known that they had to beat Demerara outright to claim the title.
Chattergoon was the aggressor while Rikhi was content with accumulating runs. But the partnership was broken when Chattergoon attempted an expansive drive off Khan and was caught by Christopher Surat for 68; he struck 10 fours and a six in his innings.
Rikhi eventually reached his half century before going on to post the highest individual score of the match, with a polished 81 that included five fours and a six. Afterwards, Khan ripped through the Berbice line-up which lost wickets regularly.
After the team from the Ancient County posted their 100-run lead they declared their innings closed at 208 from 54 overs 30 minutes before lunch.
