Sherfane Rutherford snatched four wickets for Demerara while ParmanandRamdhan struck an even 50 for Berbice in round two’s first day of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) U19 three-day tournament which continued Sunday at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda.
Chasing a first innings target of 199 by Berbice, Demerara, at stumps, were 144 for 7 from 46.4 overs with Daniel Basdeo set to
resume his innings 24 as his team faced a deficit of 54 runs.
Balchand Baldeo and Daniel Lewis grabbed two wickets to help pull things back for Berbice. Rutherford, the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) all-rounder had snatched an impressive 4-40 to help restrict Berbice to their target in 41.2 overs despite Ramdhan’s resurgent half-century.
Basdeo (2-31), Jayden Mana (2-23) and a wicket each from Captain Travis Persaud and Tariq Dharmalall completed a collective and successful bowling exhibition by Demerara.
After a good start by Ronaldo Renee (18) and Tevin Imlach (26) who took Demerara to 41 without loss at the stroke of tea during the chase, they then lost Imlach a few deliveries into the final session of
the day, while a diving catch deserving of multiple replays by Ramdhan off the bowling of Lewis accounted for the dismissal of Rutherford for 15.
Ashkaya Persaud was bowled for 34 ball 14 by Baldeo leaving the score
102 for 4. Another simple catch by Berbice, this time at mid-on by Shimron Hetmyer accounted for the wicket of Demerara skipper Persaud who fell for 21.
Malcom Hubbard (02) also succumbed to a catch as the Demerara players found it hard to keep the ball on the ground. Mark Hamilton (13) fell leg before wicket to Andrews at the stroke of stumps, leaving Basdeo stranded as curtains came down on the first day of play.
Utilizing the ideal conditions for seam bowlers, Rutherford began the day with two vital blows to remove openers Andrews who was caught by Renee and Balchand Baldeo who was trapped LBW.
West Indies U19 batsman Hetmyer (18) and Samuel Kishnasammy (05) were
both sent packing by Basdeo as Berbice slid to 61 for 4. Rutherford again landed a double strike picking up his third and fourth wickets of the innings when he dismissed Retesh Umroa and Brandon Prasad both for ducks.
Ramdan and Kassim Khan (27), however, forged a good lower order partnership of 48 while Lewis’ 26 came at a good time as the Berbicians looked set for 200.
However, after reaching his 50 Ramdan departed while Khan and Lewis followed leaving Grisean Grant (16) and Omar Weatherspoon (*16) to push for a psychological total of 200 which was cut short by one run.
