… Joel Spooner among the wickets
By Rajiv Bisnauth
DOMINANT Demerara outclassed their opponents Essequibo to close day two of their first round Hand-in-Hand Under-19 Inter-county three-day encounter in firm control for an outright win yesterday, at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground.
Essequibo, with a first-innings deficit of 131 runs, closed the day when bad light stopped play at 155-9, a second-innings lead of just 34 runs with one wicket in hand.
Off-spinner Joel Spooner repeated his performance, as he tore apart the batting order as none of the batsmen was able to read him for the second time in two days. He ended the day with figures of 6-59. His fellow-spin counterpart Pradesh Balkishun claimed the other three wickets.
Earlier, hosts Demerara resumed at 162-5, stretched their first-innings total to 207-9 off 76 overs, after captain Ashmead Nedd did not bat due to food poisoning.
Overnight batsman Balkishun failed to add to his overnight 11 and was removed by off-spinner Amit Persaud, who claimed three other wickets, to finish with figures of 6-29 off 31 overs.
The other overnight batsman Zachery Jodah, who resumed on seven, and Yudister Persaud then added 24 runs before both batsmen when bowled, off Persaud for 17 and 15 runs respectively.
Joel Spooner struck a four and six in his unbeaten 13 after which Persaud claimed the wicket of Qumar Torrington for two. Medium pacers Mervyn Benjamin and Bhumshwar Ramkissoon, along with off-spinner Badesh Parsotam, were the other successful bowlers on day one.
Faced with an uphill battle to save the game, Essequibo openers Kevin Christian and Orlando Jailall showed some fight, adding 110 for the first wicket.
The left-handed Jailall struck a composed 60 off 133 balls with four fours and a six before he was first to be dismissed by first-innings tormentor, Spooner. Christian made 49 off 110 balls, inclusive of two fours before he too went off the bowling of Spooner.
Thereafter, the other batsmen showed no sign of improvement and carried out the casual approach in the second innings as well, as they surrendered in front of a small gathering of cricket-lovers to both Spooner and Balkishun. Persaud was unbeaten on 14 when play ended.
