Young Tagenarine Chanderpaul yesterday scored an unbeaten half century to guide the President’s XI to a six wicket victory over defending champions GT&T Berbice in a match of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter-County competition at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground in Queenstown.
Sent in to bat, the defending champs were off to a bad start losing the wicket of opener Richard Ramdeen, bowled by Gilford Moore for one with only eight runs of the board.
They also lost the wicket of Sewnarine Chattergoon who was bowled by Brandon Bess for 10 with the score on 35.
However, when the score was 64-2, the Berbicians lost four wickets for the addition of only three runs.
Assad Fudadin, who made 24 from 72 balls with two fours, Zamal Khan, Gajanand Singh and Clinton Pestano were all dismissed as Devon Clements and Eugene La Fleur struck telling blows.
There was a minor recovery as Delbert Hicks scored a 24-ball 30 with the aid of two fours and three sixes while Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai, batting at number 10, contributed the inning’s top score of 31 with two fours and two sixes.
The late rally lifted Berbice to 152 all out in 45.4 overs.
Devon Clements finished with 4 for 32 from 10 overs and Eugene La Fleur 3 for 27.
In reply, the President’s XI lost opening batsman Krishna Arjune with the score on just nine in the fourth over, bowled by fast bowler Keon Joseph. His opening partner Chanderpaul held firm with Kevon Boodie, the pair taking the score to 99 before Boodie was stumped off Motie-Kanhai two runs short of a half century. He struck seven fours and faced 62 deliveries.
The President’s XI, though, suffered a hiccup when two other wickets fell in the space of 10 runs. First Elton Baker was bowled by Motie-Kanhai for one and then Jeetendra Sookdeo was caught behind for three off Joseph.
At the other end, Chanderpaul batted with calm assurance and brought up his half century in 90 balls in the 30th over, by which time he had struck three fours and two sixes. Anthony Bramble joined Chanderpaul with the score on 108 and the pair successfully completed the chase, with Bramble finishing the match with a pair of sixes off Eon Hooper in the 42nd over. Chanderpaul finished with an unbeaten 59 from 124 balls and Bramble 26 from 35 balls. Joseph finished with figures of 7.5-0-36-2, and Motie-Kanhai 10-1-27-2.
The President’s XI play their second game today at Everest against Demerara while Berbice will seek to rebound against Essequibo at DCC.
