By Royston Alkins
Skipper Shoaib Shaw stroked a crafty 56 and got support from his bowlers as defending champions Demerara dismissed Essequibo for 64 to complete a comprehensive 115-run victory at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary, yesterday.
The victory was an ideal start to Demerara’s title defence of the 2017 Guyana Cricket Board/ Dave West Indian Imports U15 Inter – County limited overs competition.
Demerara won the toss and elected to bat first as Shaw led the way with an innings that lasted 85 deliveries and included five fours.
Shaw, who opened the batting with Movindra Dindyal (9) added 48 runs for the first wicket.
Dindyal was dropped in the 10th over off the bowling of off-spinner Imzaman Bacchus when the score was 35. He was, however, eventually dismissed in the 12th over.
Things got interesting when left-arm orthodox spinner Ronaldo Scouten was introduced into the attack and immediately bowled Ushardeva Balgobin for no score.
That dismissal brought Andre Seepersaud to the crease. He looked the most technically sound player on the day and joined forces with Shaw to take the score to 70 for 2 at the first water break with sensible batting. Shaw, a few overs after the break, punched Devendra Ramdahin through the covers for a couple to bring up his second Inter-County half century.
The two continued to build the innings as Seepersaud, looking comfortable at the wicket, looked to push the score along by flicking Manoj Dasrat for four and them driving him majestically down the ground for another boundary in the same over to bring up Demerara’s 100.
Shaw was put-down in the 27th over before giving his wicket away in the same over when he attempted to loft Dasrat and was caught at mid – on for 56.
Dasrat, who took 2 for 33, flighted the ball well and deceived Chanderpaul Ramraj and bowled him for one to leave the score on 116 for 4 in the 29th over.
Daniel Mootoo and Seepersaud came together but Seepersaud was needlessly run-out for 29 when Mootoo called him through for a suicide single in the 33rd over.
Things looked gloomy for the defending champions but Mootoo and Mark Ramana (19) who came together with the score on 131 for 8 in the 39th over, batted out the remaining overs while adding 45 runs for the 9th wicket which carried the score to 176 for 9 before Ramana was run out off the final delivery of the innings. Mootoo ended on 26 not out from 66 deliveries.
Bowling for Essequibo, off-spinner Dasrat took 2 for 33 from nine overs while Scouten took 2 for 44 from 10 overs. Skipper, Sheldon Charles captured 1 for 29 from 10 overs and Bacchus 1 for 19 also from 10 economical overs.
Essequibo, in their reply looked comfortable with Skipper Sheldon Charles, who also opened the bowling and Wazim Mohamed, looking at ease while facing the new ball. Charles, who played a number of powerful strokes straight to the fielders was run out for (8) in the fourth over to leave the score on 16 for 1.
His wicket started the collapse as things went south quickly for the Cinderella County as they slipped to 39 for 4 in the 11th over at the first water break.
They never recovered and were eventually dismissed for 64 in 26.5 overs.
Seepersaud, with his flat off-spin, wrecked the middle order to finish with figures of 3 for 15 from six overs. He was supported by Chanderpaul Ramraj, 2-r 7 from 2.5 overs and Aryan Persaud 2 for 5 from 2.2 overs. Only Mohamed (10) reached double figures for Essequibo. Shaw was adjudged player of the match for his half century.
