A captain’s performance from national youth player, Navindra Persaud ensured Queen’s College (QC) get the better of Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) by six wickets while Everest and Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) battled to a stalemate in the Georgetown Cricket Association/ Noble House Seafoods Next Generation Under-19 tournament Saturday.
At the GNIC ground, the home team won the toss and elected to bat but were shot out for 78 in 25.4 overs.
QC, in reply, only needed 11.5 overs to reach 80-4.
Persaud stifled the batting line up with 4-21.
His wickets included that of the destructive middle order batsmen, Dwain Dick and Jeremiah Benjamin. The off-spin bowler was supported by Anthony Singh who snatched 3-14 from six overs.
Amos Sarwan top scored with 21 (three boundaries) before he was bowled by Jaydon Alves. Sarwan and Garfield Benjamin (16) put on 28 for the second wicket before the innings collapsed.
In the chase, Persaud opened the batting and marked his authority with two sixes off the first two deliveries, smashing Trevon Charles over square leg and over mid-wicket respectively. Persaud carried on his assault in the first over taking two more boundaries to tick off 21 runs from their target.
The captain clobbered one more six and a four before he was trapped leg before wicket to Trevon Jones for a top score of 33.
However, national U17 player Dick struck by breaking the defense of Brandon Jaikarran who had made just one. Dick also accounted for the wickets of Idvis Allen (25) and Bhadesh Persaud (1) to end with 3-19.
Over at Everest, the hosts won the toss and opted to bat first posting 269 in 53.3 overs but GCC held on for the draw at 213-6 in 46 overs.
Everest’s innings was highlighted by Ushardiva Balgobin who pummeled five sixes and five fours on his way to 81 before shuffling down the track and missing, only to be bowled. Sachin Premchand also got among the runs on the flat surface with a solid 51 which included six fours and three sixes.
Mavindras Dindyal, Zachary Jodah, Darius Andrews and C. Pollard all took two wickets.
In reply, Revaldo Phillips missed out on a half century after he was bowled on 48. He was supported by Dindyal (28), A. Seeram (23) and Jodah (31).