A clinical performance from defending champions Berbice, led by their spinners, saw them completing a resounding eight-wicket win over the President’s XI in the opening round of the Guyana Cricket Board/Dave West Indian Imports Inter County Under -15 tournament at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground Bourda, yesterday.
Berbice, after bundling out the select side for 68, found little trouble in pursuit of their total, reaching 32 before opener Rampertab Ramnaught (10) gifted his hand away by driving a delivery from Aryan Persaud down the throat of the cover fieldsman.
Mahendra Gopilall, the other opening batsman, struck the ball forcefully, stroking a delivery from Yohence Angoy down the ground for four and following that up by hammering him through the mid-wicket region for another boundary to announce his dominance.
He continued to stroke the ball sweetly, lacing six fours, before he was dismissed for 35 with his side only needing 10 more runs to win.
Vettorie Latchman (6), who walked to the wicket after Ramnaught’s demise, and Tomanni Caesar (5) then completed the victory and ensured that no other wicket fell, taking the score to 69 in 24.2 overs.
The day began with the President’s XI winning the toss and electing to bat. They started their innings steadily, taking the score to 42 – 2 at the end of the first 10 overs.
The men dismissed were Hemendra Gurdayal (0) and Alvin Mobabir, who made 17.
Mohabir was the only batsman to reach double figures in a knock which included two sweetly timed shots through the off side before he was bowled by off-spinner Jonathan Rampersaud, ending a promising innings.
Seamer Isai Thorne had the other wicket to fall.
The innings from thereon quickly turned disastrous for the select side, who lost their next eight wickets for 25 runs, which saw then being dismissed for 68 in 20.5 overs.
Left-arm spinner, Jeremey Sandia’s introduction into the attack yielded figures of 4-10 from five overs, being the chief destroyer and along with Rampersad (4-21) from 9.5 overs, puzzled their counterparts, most of whom were trapped LBW.
Sandia won the Man-of-the-Match award for his exploits.
Meanwhile, GCB officials, who stormed in at the end of the match which finished well before its time, expressed disgust at the performances of the youngsters and gave instructions to have the two sides utilise the remaining time to play another match, which they did
