Essequibo ended day one of their Guyana Cricket Board/Franchise League three–day competition against East Bank on 6 – 0 after two overs of seam when bad light stopped play, trailing East Bank by 283 runs at the Tuschen Sports club ground, East Bank Essequibo yesterday.
The opening day saw three batsmen from East Coast failing to carry on after scoring fifties as left – arm spinner Anthony Adams snared his sixth, five-wicket haul or more in this year’s competition.
The day began with East Coast winning the toss and electing to bat. Their opening pair of Rajendra Chandrika and Brian Sattaur took the side to lunch with the score sitting in 100 without loss at the break.
The pair saw off any attempt by the Essequibians to break the partnership with both batsmen unbeaten on 42 after dishing out a few lovely shots along the way as their partnership blossomed.
Both batsmen reached their fifties after the break, Sattaur before Chandrika who reached his from 79 deliveries which included five fours and two sixes. He then threw his wicket away, holing out to long off for 51 with the score on 110 – 1.
Chandrika, meanwhile, got to his, edging a ball through the slip cordon. His half century came off 84 deliveries and spanned 115 minutes.
West Indies under – 19 batsman, Bhaskar Yadram, who joined Chandrika at the fall of Sattaur’s wicket, helped Chandrika carry the score to 157 – 2 before Yadram, who smashed three sixes in his brisk 30, perished going for another maximum to give Akinie Adams his first wicket.
Akinie Adams had his second 15 runs later, removing Chandrika for 68, which spanned 114 deliveries and inclusive of nine boundaries and a solitary maximum.
Kamesh Yadram and Joshua Persaud then came to East Bank’s aid after three quick wickets fell. The former was especially pleasing on the eyes, easing Anthony Adams through the covers and whipping a delivery from him backward square for boundaries as he got his innings going.
Their partnership yielded 68 runs in an unbroken stand to carry their side to 240 – 3 at tea. Yadram remained unbeaten on 23 from 77 balls while Persaud, who played one of the shots of the day – a scintillating on drive for four, finished the session on 44, being the aggressor in the partnership.
Persaud, who played a smart innings by working the ball into the gaps while picking up the odd boundary, reached his fifty in the second over after the break by clipping seamer Nealand Cadogan off his pads to reach his milestone.
Persaud however, soon after perished like the batsmen before him, playing an ill-advised shot after employing a poorly executed sweep shot to fall for 56 with five fours and three sixes, while the score moved to 265 for four.
It was soon 274 – 6 when Cadogan removed Yadram (30) and Ramnarine Chatura (7) in quick succession.
They were eventually dismissed for 289 in the 86th over as Adams, who caused the lower order much worry, ended with 6 – 81 to continue his impressive run in the league. His brother, Akinie Adams ended with 2 – 73 while Cadogan had 2 – 55.
