A team effort by Demerara gave the host a lead of 35 runs at the end of the second day of their opening fixture against Essequibo in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Under-19 inter-county fixture.
At the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday, all-rounders Sherfane Rutherford (3-45), Ashkay Persaud (2-48) and Malcolm Hubbard (2-13) combined to take seven wickets as the Cinderella County side slipped from a comfortable position where they were 112-2 to 226 all out in 96.5 overs.
Rutherford with his medium pace and Hubbard who bowls off-spin, took vital wickets at key moments against the defiant Essequibo batsmen, who looked well set to gain first innings points. Besides Rutherford’s and Hubbard’s effectiveness, Ashkay Persaud’s accuracy played a major role to contain the batsmen.
Parmesh Parsotam (59) and Sachin Persaud (46) batted responsibly for Essequibo during their determined innings. Parsotam entered the crease when Essequibo, resuming the day on one without loss, lost their first wicket at 19. He shared a solid 52-run second wicket partnership with Nathan Persaud who made 31, before adding 46 for the third wicket with David Williams (10).
After taking the score to 117-2, Parsotam became Demerara’s third victim, caught by skipper Travis Persaud off left arm orthodox spinner Ashkay Persaud. He stroked 10 fours in his 105 balls nnings. A few deliveries later it became 117-4 when off-spinner Vivian Albert removed Williams. Sachin Persaud and skipper Travis Drakes then joined forces and the pair pushed the score to 143-4, before rain stopped play for several minutes to force an early tea break.
The final session was devastating for the visitors, who lost their final six wickets for 83 runs against a stubborn Demerara bowling attack. Drakes (18) was the first to go several minutes after the tea break, caught by Travis Persaud off Hubbard’s bowling. Keanu Harry who starred on the first day with his five-wicket haul, was next out, trapped leg before wicket to Ashkay Persaud with the score on 169-6.
However, a resilient 37-run stand between Sachin Persaud and Akini Adams gave Essequibo hope and delayed Demerara’s charge, before Rutherford got a delivery to swing through Persaud’s defence and hit his middle stump at 206-7. Three deliveries later Rutherford struck again, uprooting Loaknauth Chinkoo’s off stump.
Essequibo’s innings eventually ended approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled close as Leyland Cadogan was removed by Hubbard.
Demerara will start their second innings when day three commences at 10:00 am today.
In the other first round game between Berbice and the Guyana Under-17 at the Wales Community Centre Ground, Berbice completed a comprehensive 10-wicket victory inside two days.
Scores in the match: (Under-17 94 and 121; Berbice 214 and 2 without loss).
