Weather and bad light forced the second round clash between East Bank and West Demerara to be declared a no-result yesterday at the Everest Cricket Club ground in the Demerara Under-19 Inter-Association tournament.
Efforts to use sponges to help dry the outfield resulted in a 20-over affair with West Demerara winning the toss and opting to bat.
The West side unit posted 88 all out in 19.5 overs but, in the chase, bad light stopped the contest after 17.1 overs with East Bank in trouble at 60 for seven.
Ushardeva Balgobin showed an improvement in his fitness by running well between the wickets. He also scored fluently, even smashing two sixes with one flicked into the Parking Lot over mid-wicket.
The Zeeburg opener should have been dismissed for two but carried on to make 24. However, his luck ran out when he tried to reverse hit a delivery from Matthew Nandu and was trapped leg before wicket.
Rashidi Benjamin picked up where Balgobin left off and went on to top score with 25. His innings featured two fours and one six before he was run out attempting a sharp single.
Off-spinner, Mavindra Dindyal, made light work of the lower order to return three for 11 while Nandu ended with two for 20.
In reply, Balgobin returned to trouble East Bank with his leg-breaks as he bagged three for 20. Vishal Persaud (2—9) got the early break through and bagged the big scalps of Nandu and Dindyal with successive deliveries in the eighth over which led to East Bank falling behind the asking rate.
Jodah tried valiantly with the bat to give a late push as he reached 17 not out, highlighted by a six which was belted over mid-wicket.
The third and final round will bowl off tomorrow with East Bank facing undefeated Georgetown at Everest and East Coast searching for their first win against West Demerara at 09.30 hours.
