… homesters need 93 runs for victory with five wickets in hand
(Compliments of Lifetime Realty and Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, Reena’s Snackette, Pomeroon Sports Committee and GM&R Trading)

DEBUTANT Essequibo medium-pacer Trevor Benn bowled with gusto to claim his first five-wicket haul at this level, despite Ramnaresh Sarwan and Troy Gonsalves striking half-centuries.

Essequibo eventually bowled out Demerara for 278 after lunch on the penultimate day of their first round clash in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) four-day match at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground yesterday.

The homesters needing to score 195 for victory, struggled to 24-2 at tea, but ended the day on 102-5, with Norman Fredericks unbeaten on 51 and Trevon Garraway (5), needing a further 93 runs for victory over their illustrious opponents.

Scores to date Demerara 119 and 278, Essequibo 203 and 102-5

Earlier in the day, Sarwan who top-scored with 31 in his team’s meagre first innings total of 119 resumed from his overnight 46 and immediately reached his 50 when he steered national fast bowler Trevon Garraway to third man for two.

He faced 138 balls and batted for 162 minutes while hitting four fours, but to the detriment of the Demerara dressing room and the delight of their opponents, he lost his leg stump to an inside edge off the next delivery, bringing a 47-run fifth-wicket partnership with Barnwell (26) to an end.

Things got worse for the visitors as they lost both Barnwell who was caught by Fredericks at mid-off when he drove uppishly at Benn, and Mohammed was caught by Andrew Williams who had to put on a diving display at mid on.

Barnwell faced 62 balls, hitting two fours and one maximum during his 109 minutes vigil at the crease, but more importantly for Essequibo, they had claimed three important wickets without a run being scored, leaving Demerara on 176-7 in the first hour of play.

Former West Indies Under-19 skipper Steven Jacobs entered the scene at the demise of Sarwan and took the attack to the home team, hitting Dillon Heyliger who had replaced Garraway, through mid-wicket and over mid-on for four, then watched as Gonsalves hit Benn to long on for another four.

Essequibo’s skipper Ramesh Narine thought he saw enough from his fast bowlers and introduced spin in Williams and left-arm orthodox spinner Anthony Adams after the water break. He should have had a breakthrough but Heyliger who was stationed in the solitary slip position grassed the opportunity offered by Gonsalves off Williams’ first delivery.

Jacobs continued to be the aggressor when he struck Williams over long off for six, but when he looked set to resume his innings after the lunch break, he picked out Rohit at long off in his attempt to hit Narine over the boundary on the stroke of lunch.

Jacobs faced 58 balls for his 37 and batted for 96 minutes hitting three fours and one six during his 57-run eighth-wicket partnership with Gonsalves who was on 14 at lunch. Demerara, who were 227-8 stretched their lead to 143 with two wickets in hand at the break.

Gonsalves then batted like a man possessed and saw Essequibo take the new ball five overs later, hitting Garraway for two fours, while Benn was struck for three consecutive fours, as he motored his team’s total past 250.

He followed Sarwan by posting the second 50 in Demerara’s innings from 85 balls, hitting seven fours from 119 minutes of batting and celebrated by hitting Benn over wide long on for his lone six and the fifth of the Demerara innings.

That was the last hurrah for Demerara, as Benn removed Perry and Scott within three balls to end with 5-63 from 20 overs of nagging medium pace on a flat wicket, receiving amicable support from Garraway who took 3-76.

When Essequibo began their reply, they lost Mahendra Boodram (3) and Yogeshwar Lall (3) to be 24-2 at teatime, with Fredericks on 14 staving off a strong challenge from Gonsalves and Mohammed who bowled eight maiden overs together.

Demerara reaped more success after tea, when Latchman Rohit (0) was caught by Mohammed at point off Gonsalves but Heyliger who was Essequibo’s first innings hero, joined Fredericks at the wicket and they cautiously set about to repair the damage done by the opposition bowlers.

Rash shots were met by a loud “no” from the crowd which grew in the final session and when Fredericks broke the maiden drought by hitting Gonsalves for four, the crowd roared in appreciation, more so when the same batsman hit Mohammed for another four through midwicket in the next over.

Heyliger followed suit by hitting Gonsalves over midwicket for six to push the score to 48-3 in the 26th over, then watched as Fredericks hit Mohammed for three more fours during their 56-run fourth-wicket partnership.

But when they looked set to bat their team to safety, Barnwell was reintroduced into the attack and he immediately sent back Heyliger who got a faint edge through to Perry, bringing a patient 80-minute innings which netted him 29 valuable runs from 56 deliveries to an end.

Narine joined Fredericks who continued to pick up the odd boundaries and even though the former struck his first delivery from Barnwell through point for four, he never suggested permanence and gloved an easy catch to Shemroy Barrington at silly point off Jacobs to leave his team on 89-5.

Garraway joined Fredericks who posted his 50 from 164 balls, batting for 210 minutes and hitting six fours from the final delivery of the day bowled by Sarwan and together they saw their team to 102-5 at the close, with Fredericks on 51 and Garraway 5. Gonsalves has so far taken 2-21.

Today is the final day, with Essequibo looking for a further 93 runs to pull off an upset victory over their star-studded opponents, with five wickets in hand on a flat wicket that is offering assistance to the spinners.