A sizable gathering at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda, witnessed a mesmerizing spell of seam bowling from Berbice’s Romario Shepherd as he accounted for Essequibo’s top four batsmen to cripple their DLS revised target of 133 (29 overs) in the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Inter-County Super50.
The win, a third straight victory for Berbice, sealed a berth for Shepherd’s side in the final of the tournament, which is penciled for tomorrow.
Earlier, in brilliant sunshine, Veersammy Permaul won the toss and elected to bat. That decision seemed to have backfired after Berbice found themselves 45-5 after 14 overs. The in-form Quentin Sampson continued to enjoy his purple patch with the ball; first he got rid of the dangerous Kevin Sinclair (3) in the fourth over before Neiland Cadogan sent Sinclair’s opening partner Rampertab Ramnauth (4) back to the pavilion, and suddenly Berbice were 14/2 after seven overs. Things got even worse in the next over when Sampson had Seon Hetmyer (3) nicking behind to wicketkeeper Kemol Savory.
However, Kevlon Anderson and Shimron Hetmyer combined to forge a rebuilding partnership, with the latter being the aggressor. Just as Hetmyer looked as though he would take the game away from the Essequibians, the man with the golden arm struck. Sampson had Hetmyer clean-bowled for 23 (22 balls, 4sx2, 6×1), then trapped Shepherd leg before wicket for a two-ball duck to leave Berbice tottering on 45/5.
From there, Anderson proved to be Berbice’s anchor, forging partnerships of 37 with Clinton Pestano and 54 with Gudakesh Motie to take his side out of troubled waters. Pestano met his demise holding out to Cadogan off the bowling of Essequibo’s skipper Anthony Adams for just seven, while Gudakesh Motie played a shot-filled 32 (25 balls, 4sx2, 6sx3) before being run-out with the Berbicians’ total at 136/7.
Anderson, who would be the next wicket to fall, was caught by David Williams off the bowling of Malcolm Hubbard for 57, faced 72 deliveries, and struck eight boundaries. Anderson was the eighth wicket to fall with the score at 141, soon followed by Permaul, who managed 11 with Berbice on 166. The last pair of Shamar Joseph and Nial Smith added just four more before the heavens opened up and a heavy shower of rain halted play.
Sampson ended with figures of 4/25 (9.1 overs) and was well supported by skipper Anthony Adams, who claimed 2/40 (10 overs), while Cadogan and Hubbard took a wicket apiece.
DLS gives Essequibo the advantage
A lengthy delay due to the unexpected rain meant that the Duckworth Lewis Stern (DLS) method had to be employed, and Essequibo found themselves being set a target of just 133 from 29 overs, a definite advantage.
However, Shepherd entered the fray and broke the backbone of Essequibo’s batting line-up. Inside seven overs of the chase, Essequibo’s total read 14/4, courtesy of Shepherd’s superb spell. First, he sent back Kevon Boodie (0) to the pavilion in the third over, and then two balls later, he had Norman Fredericks caught by Anderson for just one run. The score read 3/2 at that point. In the fifth over, he dismissed David Williams (1) via the LBW route, and Essequibo was limping at 8/3.
The Essequibians fate was all but sealed in the seventh over when Shepherd struck for a decisively fourth time, getting Hubbard (6) to pick out Permaul to leave Essequibo at 14/4. From there, the ‘Prince of Essequibo’ Kemol Savory would stage a heroic fightback but ultimately fell short as he ran out of partners.
Skipper Anthony Adams joined Savory at the crease and together guided their side to 42 before Adams was adjudged LBW to speedster Shamar Joseph.
However, the loss of the skipper did not dampen the spirit of Savory, who continued playing intelligent cricket. The steady loss of wickets at the other end stymied Savory’s effort; Ricardo Adams would put on 10 with Savory before slashing a Pestano bouncer to Shepherd at deep third man.
The belligerent Sampson strode to the crease, the hopes of a recovery and an unlikely victory resting on his shoulders. To his credit, he played the part, smashing his first delivery from Pestano over long-on for a six and then driving the ball back past the same bowler for four from the very next ball.
Sampson’s exciting stay at the crease would be brief, though, as he went for a big pull off Joseph in the next over. Joseph’s extra pace proved his undoing, and he could only manage a thick top edge, which was snapped up by Shepherd’s sure hands. Sampson’s cameo lasted all four deliveries, and Essequibo’s end seemed near with their score at 69/7 in the 13th over.
Needing 64 to win with just three wickets in hand, another youngster contrived to give Essequibo one last push. Cadogan joined Savory, and together the pair put on 28 to take their side within reach of the revised total. Cadogan played a positive brand of cricket and managed to strike two fours in his score of 19 before Kevin Sinclair outfoxed him with a faster one to disturb his stumps.
At 97/8, there was still belief in the Essequibo camp, and Savory encouraged that belief as he farmed the strike with an injured Ronsford Beaton. However, in a bid for a quick single, Savory found himself short of his ground, run out by the sure-handed Motie. Savory’s defiant knock of 32 lasted 94 minutes and took up 53 balls, inclusive of six and three boundaries.
At 113/9 in the 23rd over, it was only a matter of time before either Motie or Sinclair wrapped up the innings; it was the former, trapping Beaton (4) LBW to seal the deal.
Shepherd, whose figures of 4/11 (4 overs) earned him the Man-of-the-Match award, found efficient backing from Joseph (2/16, 4 overs), with Motie and Sinclair ending with 1/10 (2.2 overs) and 1/15 (4 overs), respectively.
Berbice, who are the defending champions of the GCB Inter-County Super50, will face rivals Demerara on Saturday at the GCC in Bourda.
