-Albion, Tucber Park, YWCC in control after first day
Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolts defeated Port Mourant Cricket Club (PMCC) by an innings and 135 runs with a day to spare while Albion, Tucber Park and Young Warriors head into the second day in strong positions in their Berbice Cricket Board/ Banks Beer two-day first-division third round yesterday.
Playing at the Area ‘H’ Ground, visitors, PMCC, won the toss and opted to bat first on a hard surface in pristine sunshine but were shocked by a magnificent spell of fast bowling by Sylus Tyndall who took 5-8 and restricted PMCC to 62 all out in 24 overs.
PMCC were dependent on Michael Fraser who was left stranded on 24 not out while Tyrese Sealy (10) was the only other batsman to reach double figures. Thunderbolts skipper, Eon Hooper picked up 2-10 with his off-spin.
In reply, Thunderbolts raced to 252-8 before declaring with Kevin Sinclair and Delbert Hicks notching up half centuries.
Sinclair blasted seven fours and two sixes on his way to 70 while adding 60 for the second wicket with Jason Sinclair, who made 41 with six fours and one six. Hicks hurried the scoring rate with a brisk 67, laced with five sixes and six fours to hand Thunderbolts full batting points. Medium pacer, Joshua Ramsammy picked up 3-74 for the visitors.
Kevin Sinclair returned with his off-spin to bag 4-26 and was well supported by fellow off-spinner Junior Sinclair with 2-6 and left-arm spinner, Keith Simpson with 2-8 as PMCC were bowled out for 55 in their second innings.
Meanwhile, at the Rose Hall Community Centre ground, Rose Hall Canje was staring at an innings defeat after Albion piled on 350-6 declared in 50 overs and they stumbled to 70 all out in 20.3 overs in their first innings.
The follow-on was enforced and Rose Hall Canje closed on 1-1.
After losing 30 minutes of play due to rain, Rose Hall Canje won the toss and inserted Albion, a move which seemed to be the right choice as Adrian Sukhwa was dismissed first ball of the match to pacer, Zahir Hussain (3-64).
However, Kandasammy Surujnarine flattened the bowling with a blistering 106, brought up by a commanding cover drive for his 13th four. He also struck four sixes while sharing in a 189-run second wicket stand with the returning Sharaz Ramcharran.
Ramcharran looked solid and ran well between the wickets with Surujnarine but was plucked out at mid-off for 90. Ramcharran smashed eight fours and three sixes during his stay.
Jonathan Foo did not last long at the crease as an aware Hussain dismissed the national player via the Mankad route for one as Albion slipped to 206-4.
Nevertheless, Rajiv Ivan and Gudakesh Motie propelled the Corentyne side to an imposing total with unbeaten half centuries. Ivan clobbered eight fours and three sixes during his 69 while Motie hit four sixes and two fours on his way to 51. The pair added 86 for the seventh wicket.
Rose Hall Canje’s first innings only saw a resistance from Michael Veerasammy with 27 as Motie returned to take 2-19 while his fellow left-arm spinning captain, Veerasammy Permaul collected 4-45. Leg-spinner, Devindra Bishoo secured 4-6.
Further up the road at Cumberland, Young Warriors assumed a lead of 20 as they closed their first innings on 144-5 in reply to West Berbice’s 124 in their first innings despite an hour delay due to rain.
Left-arm spinner, Trevon Stanislaus strangled West Berbice with 5-42 as Akeem Blackman (28) and Kareem Mentore (21) scored anything of substance. With the hosts assuming a lead, skipper Linden Austin top scored with 53.
Over the Berbice River Bridge at Cotton Tree, Tucber Park posted 264 in their first innings with Quacy Mickle (76), Brandon Corlette (59) and Nial Smith (50) notching up half centuries while Kevin Jawahir (5-82) and Nigel Deodat (3-51) were the principal bowlers for Blairmont. Blairmont, in reply closed their first innings on 37-1
