A superb all-round bowling effort from Demerara led by Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed, combined with an unbeaten 93 from opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, led Demerara to a 7-wicket win over the GCB Select XI at Enmore, East Coast of Demerara yesterday in the Inter-County Super50.
The win also means that Demerara have booked a clash in the final of the GCB Inter-County Super50 against old rivals Berbice.
The Junior Sinclair-led GCB Select XI won the toss and opted to bat. Early in the innings, they lost opener Raymond Perez (0), caught by Akshaya Persaud off the bowling of Qumar Torrington, with the score at just seven in the third over. Urshadeva Balgobin joined the talented wicketkeeper batsman at the crease, and together they put on 48 to steer their side to safety.
However, Joshua Persaud fell for 29 (4sx3, 6×1) to Ali-Mohamed and triggered a mini-collapse as the Select XI went from 55/2 to 72/4. Balgobin (19) soon followed Persaud, dismissed by Ali-Mohamed, while Shamar Yearwood (5) was accounted for by Devon Lord.
Veteran all-rounder Christopher Barnwell was joined by Sinclair, and they struck up a 58-run partnership. Sinclair was the aggressor in the partnership, plundering 32 from 20 deliveries, striking five maximums. However, his aggression was eventually quelled, as Chandrapaul Hemraj bowled him as he went for another big shot. Soon after, Carlos La Rose joined the list of casualties and ran out via a direct throw from Richie Looknauth.
From 132/6, Barnwell guided youngsters Jeremiah Scott (2) and Jonathan Rampersaud (14) through partnerships of 18 and 37, respectively, until he fell for 77 (71 balls, 4sx8, 6sx3), caught by Hemraj off the bowling of Ali-Mohamed.
From 187/8, the last two wickets fell for just 17 runs as the Select XI was bowled out for 204 in 39 overs. Ali-Mohamed had figures of 3/44 (7 overs), while Hemraj picked up 2/41 (6 overs), with Torrington, Looknauth, and Lord snaring a wicket apiece.
That total always seemed too little for the star-studded batting line-up of Demerara, as Chanderpaul and Hemraj (30) gave their side a start of 39 before the latter was caught behind off the bowling of Rampersaud.
Youngster Mavindra Dindiyal joined Chanderpaul, and together they played beautifully for an 83-run second-wicket partnership until young Dindiyal was stumped for 43. His innings included four boundaries and lasted 58 deliveries.
Tevin Imlach was caught behind for just five in a minor hiccup for Demerara, but Chanderpaul and Akshaya Persaud played unbeaten to take their side to victory. Chanderpaul’s 93 included 10 boundaries and spanned 177 minutes, with the left-hander facing 126 deliveries. Persaud, who ended unbeaten on 21, hit two boundaries.
Bowling for the losers, Rampersaud had the best figures of 1/28 from his 10 overs, while Scott and Aryan Persaud took a wicket each.
For his 93 not out, Chanderpaul earned the man-of-the-match award. Demerara will clash with Berbice in the final tomorrow at the GCC in Bourda at 9 a.m.
