Demerara and E’bo clash in El Dorado one-day opener today

SMARTING from their come from behind 39- run victory over Essequibo in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) organised four day Inter-county tournament last Friday, the Ramnaresh Sarwan led Demerara team will be brimming with confidence when they oppose the same opponents today in the first match of the GCB/El Dorado sponsored Inter-county limited overs tournament.

When the two met at the Anna Regina ground, the same venue for today’s encounter in the four day match last week, Essequibo dominated their star studded opponents from the first ball to the last one on the penultimate day, before crumbling to the spin of Steven Jacobs on the final morning and will be looking to avenge their 83 runs first round lost in last year’s tournament.

They should be looking for a better batting performance from their team, for it was this department which failed them tremendously, even though they got first innings points from their opponents in the four day match.

To this end, former national Under-19 vice captain Royan Fredericks and Geewan Singh has replaced the out of form Latchman Rohit and wicketkeeper Lennox Andrews who made a ‘golden duck’ respectively, while another former national Under-19 player in fast bowler Ryan Hercules strengthens the bowling, following his return from England.

Even though he is the more experienced, matured and possesses a very aggressive attitude with the bat, skipper Ramesh Narine would need to take his responsibility as leader of a team known to be the perennial whipping boys of local cricket, more seriously.

His batting attitude, especially in the second innings when his team needed 195 to pull off the outright win, left much to be desired especially against the bowling of Jacobs who used his height to good advantage, while he got the ball to drift against both the right and left handed batsmen.

Both Fredericks and Singh will bolster a batting lineup which will be led by Dillon Heyliger and Fredericks’ older brother Norman who enjoys this form of the game, Mahendra Boodram, Yogeshwar Lall, Hercules and even national fast bowler Trevon Garraway and Trevor Benn who have all proven they are no rabbits with the bat.

Their bowling rests on the capable shoulders of Garraway and Benn who rocked the Demerara batting line up in both innings with their swing and at times pace, Hercules and Norman Fredericks, with support from spinners Anthony Adams and Andrew Williams, with both Narine and Heyliger being capable of sending down a few tight overs also.

Make no mistake, the miserable batting performance displayed by the defending limited overs champions Demerara in their first innings where they were bowled over for 119 would not repeat itself today, hence the Cinderella County team should come out expecting a tough battle on their hands from the word go.

Openers Rajendra Chandrika whose 65 following an opening stand of 61 with Christopher Barnwell (37) in last year’s opener and Shemroy Barrington will be looking to give their team a solid start, but with the destructive Andrew Lyght Jnr, who can destroy any bowling attack on his day in the squad, both Sarwan and coach Gavin Nedd have their work cut out for them, with regards to the opening slots at the top.

With either Sarwan who has been in fine form for his club GCC in this format of the game lately or hi s club mate Leon Johnson who led the team last year in the absence of the senior players occupying the number three position, Krishna Deosarran, vice- captain Zaheer Mohammed, Gajanand Singh and Barnwell lending support with the bat, Essequibo’s work will be cut out for them also.

Troy Gonsalves and Sauid Drepaul are no rabbits with the bat, so too is there club mate and wicketkeeper Joseph Perry and along with Kellon Carmichael, a young player who has come on leaps and bounds in this format of the game since his days as a national youth player, the home team can expect a long and rough day in the office today.

Demerara’s bowling will be led by Barnwell and Carmichael who did a splendid job with the new ball last year and with amicable support from Jacobs, Mohammed, Drepaul and Gonsalves, with Sarwan, Johnson and to an extent Singh showing they can handle the cherry if needed, the defending champions will be looking to repeat their 83 run win from last year.

Teams:
Demerara from: Ramnaresh Sarwan, Zaheer Mohammed, Rajendra Chandrika, Shemroy Barrington, Andrew Lyght Jnr, Christopher Barnwell, Leon Johnson, Krishna Deosarran, Gajanand Singh, Steven Jacobs, Joseph Perry, Troy Gonsalves, Sauid Drepaul and Kellon Carmichael.

Essequibo from: Ramesh Narine, Norman Fredericks, Royan Fredericks, Yogeshwar Lall, Mahendra Boodram, Geewan Singh, Dillon Heyliger, Navin Bahadur, Anthony Adams, Andrew Williams, Ryan Hercules, Trevon Garraway and Trevor Benn.

The game will get underway from 09:30h and the umpires are Nigel Duguid and Clement Brusch, with Dashroy Balgobin performing the duties of third umpire.

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