Leaders Lower Corentyne were in a strong position against West Demerara at the end of the first day’s play of the sixth round Guyana Cricket Board/Cricket Guyana Incorporated three-day Franchise League tournament at Tuschen ground yesterday.
Playing in the all-important top of the table clash, Lower Corentyne scored 325 all out with Devon Clements slamming a commanding 143.
His innings included 16 fours and five sixes and helped pull Lower Corentyne first innings around after they were in a spot of bother at 104-5.
Seon Hetmyer scored 49, Jonathan Foo struck a quick-fire 46 and Hakeem Hinds contributed 21.
Bowling for West Demerara, Romario Shepherd took his second five-wicket haul of the competition claiming 5/60 while Raymon Reifer had 3/83 and Rishi Looknauth 2/80.
West Demerara, in reply, were 22/0 at the close of play with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 10 and Chabiraj Ramcharran on eight.
Over at the Everest Cricket Club ground Camp Road, Upper Corentyne were dismissed for 222 by East Bank demerara.
They were indebted to a shot-filled innings of 92 from Assad Fudadin which came off just 99 balls.
The former West Indies player struck five fours and five sixes in his 132 minute innings.
Fudadin and opener Lloyd Lewis, who made 17, had put on 93 runs for the first wicket but thereafter only Clinton Pestano with 49 (three fours and four sixes) Anthony Bramble with 22 and Kevlon Anderson with 19 (four fours) offered any resistance.
Stephen Jacobs was the pick of the bowlers with 4-97 while fast bowler Steven Harris bagged 3-57 and left arm spinner Budhan Baksh had 2-19.
East Bank Demerara in reply, were 75/4 at the close of play with Danny Narayan on 30 not out. Eon Hooper has so far taken 2/8 removing openers Steven Brown and Devon Seegobin lbw for 10 and seven respectively.
Sherfane Rutherford with five and Mark Rhobe with eight were the other batsmen dismissed.
At Cumberland, Georgetown won the toss, batted and reached 243 all out off just 53 overs. Captain Christopher Barnwell, who scored a century in the previous round narrowly missed a second being dismissed for 91 while Dexter Solomon, Sunil Persaud, Robin Bacchus and Andrew Light jnr., supported with scores of 42, 28, 25 and 23 respectively. Bowling for West Berbice, Keron Fraser took 5/84, Collis Butts 3/36 and Andrew Dutchin 2/32.
West Berbice in reply were tottering on 103 for 9 off 32 overs, with Andrew Dutchin scoring 36 and Leon Andrews 19. Barnwell, Devon Lord, Gajanan Suknanan and Kellon Carmichael have so far taken two wickets each.
At the Imam Bacchus, East Coast Demerara made 316 all out with Guyana under 19 batsman Bhaskar Yadram stroking 118. Kamesh Yadram made 61 and Ameer Khan 58. Bowling for Essequibo, Akinie Adams took 6/53.
Essequibo in reply, were 40/2 at the close of play.
