GCB U17 Inter-County 50-Over
-Essequibo beat Select XI by 5 wickets for third place
By Michelangelo Jacobus
The final of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) U17 Inter-County 50-over competition saw Demerara clinch a commanding six-wicket victory over Berbice at the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Ground, East Coast Demerara, yesterday.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Demerara’s bowlers dominated proceedings, dismissing Berbice for a mere 124 runs in 27.4 overs. Leading the charge was Dave Mohabir, who delivered a scintillating spell of 4/10 from 6.4 overs, while skipper Parmeshwar Ram supported well with figures of 3/24 from six overs.
Despite Berbice’s batting struggles, captain Romario Ramdeholl stood tall with a gritty unbeaten 43 off 53 balls, including six fours and a six, ensuring his team surpassed the 100-run mark. Devin Lallbeharry provided some resistance with a knock of 33 (36 balls, five fours), while Chamesh Seenarine and Ravin Boodwah contributed 11 runs each. Additional wickets for Demerara came from Patrice Fraser and Jonathan Mentore, who claimed one apiece.
Lovell received the man-of
-the-match award for his unbeaten half-century against the Select XI.
In reply, Demerara’s powerful left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman Shamar Apple played a match-winning innings, smashing a brisk 61 off 59 balls. Apple’s attacking knock featured nine fours and two sixes, setting up a smooth run chase. He was eventually trapped LBW by Feaz Baksh with the score on 93, leaving Demerara needing just 32 more runs for victory. Munesh Outar (1 not out) and Emmanuel Lewis (17 not out from 22 balls, three fours) completed the chase, reaching 128/4 in 34 overs.
Reflecting on his performance and the tournament, Apple told Stabroek Sport, “Today I had a mindset that we should win the game. I went out there with the intention of scoring the most runs. I noticed that the Berbicians had a game plan for me—it was my wicket they wanted most of all. I had to put my head down and bat, execute my basics, and in the end, I top-scored. I came out of the tournament with the most runs and the Most Valuable Player award, so I am pleased with my efforts. But most of all, I am happy that the team came out victorious.”
For Berbice, Micah Amsterdam and Feaz Baksh tried to slow Demerara’s charge with two wickets each. Amsterdam dismissed Ram (4) and Marcel Nandu (14), while Baksh removed Apple and Mentore (3), finishing with figures of 2/45 from 10 overs. Amsterdam returned 2/29 from seven overs.
Essequibo defeat Select XI by 5 wickets
Over at the Transport Sports Club Ground in Georgetown, Essequibo secured third place in an exciting encounter against the Select XI. Batting first after winning the toss, Select XI posted 181 all out in 47.1 overs. Richard Ramdeholl narrowly missed a half-century, top-scoring with 49 off 64 balls, including seven fours and a six. However, little support came from his teammates, with Nathaniel Ramsammy (17), Thierry Henry (15), and Shane Prince (24) failing to build on their starts. Extras played a significant role, with Essequibo gifting 37 runs.
Leading Essequibo’s bowling attack, Navindra Sankar claimed 4/47 from 10 overs, while Shazim Mohamed (2/20 from seven overs) and Bomesh Lall (2/13 from 4.5 overs) played key supporting roles.
In response, Essequibo’s run chase was anchored by Nicholas Lovell, who struck an unbeaten 55 from 93 balls, laced with six fours. Setting up the victory was Jathneil Nurse, whose patient 40 (114 balls, two fours) provided stability at the top. Contributions from Bomesh Lall (29) and Usain Fredericks (20) further aided the chase.
drives during their run-chase.
For Select XI, Gibran Yacoob led the bowling effort with 3/32 from 10 overs, while Prince and Ramdeholl chipped in with a wicket apiece.
In the coming weeks, the GCB will make their selection for the National U-17 team, which will be representing Guyana at the CWI U17 regional competition.
