Off-spinner Sagar Hetheramani headlined the third and final day and round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) U19 three-day tourney between Demerara and the U17’s which ended in a draw at the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday.
The U17 slow bowler, who stole the show with figures of 6-59 from 29 overs, was magical during his spells as the Demerara batsmen found him difficult to play, especially under forecast conditions and a pitch filled with moisture. His efforts with the ball ensured Demerara would not reach their first innings target of 251 as they ended on 219-9 from 77 overs.
Demerara resumed their first innings at 53-0 with Ronaldo Renee and Sherfane Rutherford on 16 and 26 respectively. The former managed to add one run to his overnight total before Hetheramani snuck one through his defence.
Rutherford, who was adjudged MVP for his all-round performances, continued to strike the ball beautifully and reached his half-century before perishing for 66, to a good piece of spin bowling by Ashmead Nedd. Tevin Imloch (00) and Akshaya Persaud, who looked good for his 35, departed compliments of good bowling from Hetheramani and Joshua Jones (2-45).
Hetheramani and Jones would then team up again to account for the dismissals of Chetnarine Pooran (00) and skipper Travis Persaud (13) while the pint-sized national spinner would toss up a beauty which foxed Ershad Ali (15) into leaving alone to a spinning delivery which knocked him over.
The final drinks break of the day saw Demerara holding up at 196-7 and a few overs after the break, Hetheramani would snare his fifth and sixth victims of the innings in Malcom Hubbard who batted well for his 46-ball 32, followed by Daniel Basdeo (02).
With the last pair at the crease, the innings came to an end as tail-enders Mark Hamilton (*18) and Carlton Jacques (*09) held up their ends.
Earlier in the match, Ronaldo Ali-Mohammed (69), Raymond Perez (69) and Adrian Sukwah (54) helped propel the U17 side to a decent first innings total of 251 all out. Rutherford who finished the tournament with 17 scalps, bagged 4-43 while Ali (3-28) and Hubbard (2-28) were the other significant wicket-takers.
