GCB Inter-County Super50
By Michelangelo Jacobus
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter-County Super50 competition got off to an exciting start yesterday with defending champion Demerara thrashing the GCB Select XI by 105 runs, led by an unbeaten century from opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul at the iconic GCC ground in Bourda, Georgetown.
Meanwhile, as inter-county cricket returned to Cinderella County, Essequibo, for the first time in a decade, the home team sprung a surprise, beating Berbice by four-wickets as the Adams, Ricardo, and skipper Antony led the charge.
At Bourda, Demerara skipper Tevin Imlach called the toss correctly and decided to bat on a dry-looking pitch, which proved to be full of bounce all game long.
The GCB XI found success in the very first over as pacer Demetri Cameron had Raymond Perez dismissed, caught by Jeremiah Scott for a first-ball duck off the fourth delivery of the over, leaving Demerara at 1/1.
However, skipper Imlach and Chanderpaul would stitch together a marathon 61-run partnership, which spanned roughly 21 overs. The duo, probably two of Guyana’s most patient batsmen, scored at a rate that bore resemblance to a test innings; despite their sloth, it would serve as a platform for Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 103 (4sx6) as he made a welcome return to form.
While Chanderpaul tasted success, Imlach, on the other hand, made a painstaking 73-ball 29 and would depart after left-arm orthodox spinner Aryan Persaud bowling around the wicket got the ball to turn sharply from leg to off, breaching the defence of the wicketkeeper batsman and striking the stumps in the 22nd over.
Imlach’s departure brought another wicket as Select XI skipper Jonathan Rampersaud sent Sachin Singh (5) back to the pavilion after a brief stay. Singh made way for left-hander Akshaya Persaud, who would completely change the pace of the Demerara innings with his aggressive strokeplay.
Persaud looked like a man on a mission and struck up a fourth wicket partnership of 126 with Chanderpaul. While his aggressive approach reaped rewards with a brisk 79 (52 balls), which included five fours and six sixes, Persaud had a charmed stay at the crease and was dropped no less than three times, perhaps the easiest being one that he pulled over midwicket, which Jeremiah Scott, usually a pair of safe hands, misjudged the space he had on the boundary and could only push it over his head and into the boundary.
Persaud’s luck would eventually wear thin when Kwesi Mickle held on to a good catch off the bowling of youngster Jonathan Van Lange, leaving Demerara at 199/4 in the 42nd over. Despite Persaud’s dismissal, the damage had been done, and Chanderpaul, who had largely been a spectator to Persaud’s pyrotechnics at the other end, switched gears to guide his side to what would end up being more than imposing.
While Chanderpaul unleashed a few attractive pulls and drives in the last eight overs of the innings, his partners fell cheaply as seamer Carlos La Rose helped himself to a 4-fer, which included the three wickets of Shamar Yearwood (16),
Richie Looknauth (0), and Devon Lord (2), all in the 48th over. La Rose would add the scalp of Steven Sankar (2) in the final over with the penultimate delivery of the innings.
He ended with figures of 4-41 from his eight overs, while Van Lange snared 2-51 from 10 overs. Offering support with a wicket each were Cameron, Persaud, and Rampersaud as Demerara ended on 258/9 from their quota of overs.
In search of 259 for victory, the Select XI were given a decent start from openers Ushardeva Balgobin and Brandon Jaikaran, who put together 46 for the first wicket.
Balgobin, who was watchful at first, got into a groove and looked imperious with a couple of well-timed square drives, cashing in on anything short and wide during his 27 (36 balls, 4sx4).
When Balgobin was just beginning to look good, the introduction of spin to the equation spelled trouble as Devon Lord castled him with his very first delivery to leave the Select XI at 46/1 in the 11th over. Lord snapped up a second, trapping Shamal Angel lbw for a duck just two deliveries later to make it 46/2.
Richie Looknauth also came into the attack and accounted for Van Lange, who made a laboured 12-ball 2 before departing at 53/3 in the 15th over.
From thereon, wickets fell at regular intervals, with only lower-order batsman Kwesi Mickle standing tall with an unbeaten 51 (57 balls, 4sx1, 6sx3). Lord and Looknauth would go on to snare 3-21 (10 overs) and 2-19 (10 overs), respectively, while Steven Sankar snared 2-41 (6 overs) also got in on the action. Ronaldo Ali Mohamed and Akshaya Persaud would also chip in with a wicket apiece to hand Demerara a resounding victory, setting a positive start to their title defence. Over in Essequibo, at the Pomona Ground, the hosts won the toss and sent Berbice to bat, which paid dividends as all-rounder Ricardo Adams spearheaded a brilliant bowling effort, capturing 5-25 as they managed to bowl Berbice out for 203 in 45.1 overs.
Opener Rampertab Ramnauth (38), all-rounder Kevin Sinclair (39) and Veerasammy Permaul (30) all got starts but could not kick on as their teammates struggled around them. Adams received support from Ronsford Beaton (2/49).
He then returned with the bat to smash a 47-ball 60 while Ricardo Adams guided the Essequibians to a successful run-chase with an unbeaten 60, which came off 87 balls after Kemol Savoury (34) had given the side a solid contribution in the middle order. Essequibo ended on 204/6, chasing down the required total in just 34.3 overs.
The second round of the event is slated for tomorrow (October 15), with Essequibo facing the Select XI at Lusignan while eternal rivals Demerara and Berbice will square off at GCC, Bourda. Both matches are scheduled to bowl off at 9:30am.
