Half centuries from Vishaul Singh and Shaquille Williams saw Demerara posting 365 all out against the President’s XI who had replied with 62-2 at the close of the third day’s play of the Guyana Cricket Board Inter County four day competition at the Demerara Cricket Club in Queenstown on Thursday.
Demerara resumed on 157-5, and in need of a substantial partnership but lost Zaheer Mohamed (7) and Paul Wintz (0) before Williams, batting at number nine, joined Singh in their crucial 131-run partnership.
Williams hit 14 fours in his knock of 78 which consumed 105 deliveries and was ended when Seon Daniels had him lbw.
Singh’s innings lasted 278 balls and he struck seven fours in 82 before he was last man out, caught off the bowling of Elton Baker.
Baker also removed Kellon Carmichael lbw for 23 runs from 60 balls after Carmichael had added 46 runs for the ninth wicket with Singh.
The lower order contribution helped Demerara frustrate the President’s XI for a total of 132.3 overs spread over the better part of three days due to the rain interruptions.
Daniels maintained a wicket to wicket line on the scarcely responsive surface to collect figures of 27-8-82-4 while pacer Brandon Bess took 3 for 48 and Baker took 2 for 16.
In reply, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Krishna Arjune batted cautiously to post a 53 run opening stand although neither batsman scored fluently as the Demerara seamers Paul Wintz and Carmichael probed away for 12 overs without luck.
The introduction of spin paid dividends as Chanderpaul was bowled by Amir Khan who bowled a testing spell in the afternoon session. Chanderpaul scored 19 from 43 balls with three well timed fours. Arjune lasted 72 balls and struck two fours in 24 before he gloved a Khan delivery while attempting a slog sweep, and was well taken wicketkeeper Joseph Perry diving forward from behind the stumps.
Nightwatchman Stephen Latcha and Jeetendra Sookdeo survived a trial by spin as they remained not out on three and one respectively. Khan has taken 2 for nine from six overs thus far as the President’s XI closed on 62 for 2 after 28 overs, 362 runs behind Demerara with eight wickets in hand.
