Berbice dethroned defending champions Demerara when the rain-affected Guyana Cricket Board four day senior Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company/ Hand-in-Hand Company Limited Inter County competition ended yesterday.
The competition was badly affected by the inclement weather and the third and final round which ended yesterday saw the first three days play being washed out.
There was, however, some amount of play yesterday but not enough for their to be a first innings result and the upshot was that all the teams each received four points for the no result encounters.
At the Everest Cricket Club ground, Essequibo, batting first, were dismissed for 156 in 46.2 overs with leg spinner Devendra Bishoo grabbing 6-53 from 19.2 overs.
Royston Crandon, 2-42, Keon Joseph, 1-3 and Raun Joseph 1-20 were the other wicket takers. Batting for Essequibo Dillon Heyliger top scored with 39, Kemo Paul made 36 and Mark Gonsalves 22.
Berbice, in reply, were 27 for 1 from six overs at cut off time with Assad Fudadin and opener Kandasammy Surujnarine unbeaten on 16 and seven runs respectively. Heyliger had earlier removed Berbice skipper Sewnarine Chattergoon trapped lbw for 4.
In the second match played at the Uitvlugt Community Development Centre ground, between Demerara and the President’s XI, the President’s XI, batting first, slipped from a comfortable position of 75 for 2 to 102 all out in 55.2 overs.
Leg spinner Amir Khan was the principal destroyer with 6-17 and he was supported by a wicket each from fast bowler Randy Knights, Christopher Barnwell and Zaheer Mohamed who ensured that only three batsmen; Shemroy Barrington (36), Jason Sinclair (26) and Robin Bacchus (19) were able to get starts.
In reply Demerara were 28 for 2 from 1.5 overs at the designated cut off mark with Barnwell unbeaten on 26. Bishoo, who ended the competition with 25 wickets was named Most Valuable Player.
Meanwhile the GCB has short-listed 37 cricketers to prepare for possible selection after undergoing a fitness test on December 28 for the Regional Super50 and Four-day tournaments commencing next month in Trinidad and Tobago.
The players shortlisted are:- Leon Johnson, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Robin Bacchus, Assad Fudadin, Zaheer Mohamed, Royston Crandon, Christopher Barnwell, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Vishal Singh, Ronsford Beaton, Rajiv Ivan, Amir Khan, Trevon Griffith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Shaquille Williams, Jonathan Foo, Narsingh Deonarine, Steven Jacobs, Keon Joseph, Raun Johnson, Jason Sinclair, Paul Wintz, Anthony Adams, Rajendra Chandrika, Gudakesh Motie Kanhai, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Stoll, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ryan Ramdass, Chris Pattadin, Royan Fredricks, Totaram Bishun and Collis Butts.