BERBICE were scenting an outright victory over the Rest Team at the end of the penultimate day yesterday in the first round of the 2009 Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) four-day inter-county cricket competition at the Demerara Cricket Club ground, in Queenstown.

The Rest Team, facing a massive 415 for victory, closed the day on 223-8 still in arrears of 214 with a maximum of 90 overs and two wickets in hand.

Scores in the game so far are: Berbice 205 and 437; Rest Team 228 and 223-8.

Yesterday Berbice, resuming from their solid overnight position of 290-3 with Narsingh Deonarine on 101 and Homchand Pooran on 47, had progressed to 437 all out, approximately one hour after lunch.

The left-handed Deonarine went on to accumulate 145 runs before he was nicely taken by Seon Daniels at long-off to off-spinner Steven Latcha, while the right-handed Pooran scored a fine 88, which included four fours from 189 balls.

Deonarine occupied the crease for 177 balls and in the process struck 11 fours and three sixes.  

Esaun Crandon was the other useful scorer yesterday with 20 as Latcha ended with four for 79 from 25 overs, while off-spinner Deon Ferrier and left-arm spinner Sauid Drepaul nabbed three for 79 and two for 125 respectively.

When the Rest Team began their second innings’ chase, they lost first innings’ top-scorer Trevon Griffith for 14, while his opening partner Ryan Ramdass followed shortly for 22.

Left-handed Vishaul Singh steadied the innings momentarily with a compact 70 which included eight fours and two sixes from 85 deliveries after skipper Derwin Christian (0) and Ferrier (4) fell in quick succession.

Drepaul followed up his fifty in the first innings with another impressive 50.

Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo has been the most successful bowler for the boys from the Ancient County so far with four for 52 from 14 overs. Deonarine, bowling off-spin, has picked two for 30.