By Marlon Munroe
ANOTHER brilliant all-round performance by Jonathan Foo on the second day of the GTM final round match placed Berbice firmly in control against Demerara, going into the final day today at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence

Berbice, resuming on 75-4 and needing 217 to take first innings, Foo and overnight partner Alex Amsterdam featured in a 173-run partnership from 43 overs that also saw Foo bring up stroke-filled 131 that included 22 boundaries and one six off 134 balls that spanned 203 minutes after he resumed on 50.

However, Berbice collapsed for just 211 after Foo was caught and bowled by pacer Seon Daniels when the score was 204-7 while Amsterdam fell one short of a half-century.

Meanwhile, at the end of the day Berbice were once again in the driverxs seat after they restricted Demerara to 69-7 from 43 overs and a lead of 74.

Batsman Amir Khan and fast bowler Seon Daniels were not out at stumps on 18 and 2 respectively when bad light stopped play at 17:31 h.

On the other hand, Demerara find themselves in a spot of bother because they have to beat Berbice outright to claim the championship.

After a late start due to mid-morning showers, Foo continued where he left off on day one, hitting the ball crisply despite being dropped twice.

Amsterdam also continued to be the xsleeping partnerx as Foo made the Demerara bowlers toil with his positive stroke play and solid defence.

There were the occasional bursts from Amsterdam but it was clear that Foo controlled the momentum of the dayxs proceedings.

However, on Andre Stollxs re-admission into the bowling attack, he trapped Amsterdam in front for 49 (3×4, 157 balls) that spanned 170 minutes to break the fifth-wicket stand of 173.

Subsequently, the next highest score by a batsman was nine by captain Anthony Bramble before he was yorked by a beauty from Daniels that uprooted his middle stump. Joemal La Fleur (2) was stumped by Dexter Solomon off the bowling of Totaram Bishun while Sahadeo Somai and Trinston Carmichael were bowled for one and zero respectively.

Keyron Fraser was left not out without scoring. 16 extras contributed to Berbiciansx eventual total. Stoll, Bishun and Daniels ended with figures of 3-38, 3-46 and 3-55 in that order.

In Demeraraxs second time at the crease, they got off to an extremely shaky start as they lost openers Kishan Shivgobin for one and Ryan Rajmangal for five as they stumbled to 9-2. Carmichael and Fraser started the Demerara decline with his line and length bowling that was equally supported by good fielding especially the blinder that La Fleur took at second slip to dismiss Rajmangal.

Foo, once again joined the party when he had Delroy Charles caught and bowled for five off 34 balls, Solomon lbw for zero and then Trevon Griffith, who was lifted off the field earlier in the day because of a thigh injury, caught on the long-on boundary for 11 from 54 balls. Somai accounted for the scalps of Stoll, caught at mid off by La Fleur, and captain Rajindra Naikbaran caught at mid off for 20.

Foo finished day two with 3-21 to take his wicket tally to 21 in the tournament, Somai had 2-25 while Fraser and Carmichael have one apiece.