-Essequibo exhibit patience
SKIPPER Harrinarine Chattergoon and Lloydel Lewis led from the front for defending champions Berbice against their host Essequibo at the end of the first day of their second round fixture in the 2010 Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) organized GTM sponsored Under-19 Inter-county three day match at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground yesterday. It was a different looking Essequibo unit compared to the one who went under to Demerara by an innings inside two days in the first round, as they exhibited patience during their first innings, even though they were bowled out before the end of the first day’s play.

Winning the toss and opting to take first strike on a wicket that is conducive for batting in sweltering heat, Essequibo were bowled out for 192 with less than an hour to go, after which they fought back to leave Berbice on 23-1 at the close.

Openers Herell Greene (12) and Vijay Surajpaul (17) added 23 for the first wicket, with Surajpaul hitting national fast bowler Keon Joseph who was plagued with a no ball problem, for two fours off successive deliveries.

Greene also got into the act with a four off Jamal La Fleur, before he was dropped by Rafael Estriado at backward square off debutant fast bowler Raun Johnson (2-21), but the miss did not cost Berbice anything, as the bowler knocked back the leg stump of Greene in his next over.

Surajpaul was then caught by Estriado at forward short leg off Johnson, while Christopher Blucher (08) picked out Johnson at mid off when he attempted to hit Lewis over the top, to leave Essequibo on 54-3.

Keron Mc Lennon (26) was joined by Ravendra Mohabir (07) at the fall of Blucher’s wicket and they added 13 with the former hitting both Joseph and national Under-15 skipper Shawn Pereira for boundaries.

Mohabir never suggested permanence against the all spin attack of Lewis and Pereira, hence it was no surprise when he got a thin edge through to debutant wicketkeeper Andy Mohan off the former, at which point Anthony Adams joined Mc Lennon.

The two carried the score to 90, with Mc Lennon cashing in on boundaries when the spinners bowled short, before he offered Lewis a low chance off his own bowling, which the bowler accepted gleefully after facing 42 deliveries and hitting four fours in his 26 while batting for 61 minutes.

At the luncheon break, Essequibo were 90-5 with Anthony Adams on 14 and Kevin Boodie who went on to make a resilient 3 from 77 deliveries and 61 minutes batting, yet to score.

When play resumed after lunch, the pair carried their partnership to 48 and the score to 138 with sensible running between the wickets while Anthony Adams picked up the odd boundaries after receiving amicable support from Boodie at the other end.

Essequibo reached their 100 from 39 overs, at which point Anthony Adams was on 20 and Boodie 1 and just when they looked set to see their team to tea without any trouble, Boodie got a thin edge through to Mohan off Sherwin Mc Pherson.

Anthony Adams continued to soldier on despite the lost of wickets at the other end with back to back boundaries off La Fleur, while witnessing the demise of Neil Ramalho who was lbw to Chattergoon for 09, before he was caught at the wicket also off Chattergoon for a well played 49 which was decorated with six fours and came off 95 deliveries and 116 minutes of batting.

National Under-15 vice captain Ricardo Adams and fast bowler Ronsford Beaton carried the score to 189 with Ricardo Adams hitting Pereira over mid wicket for a six which was followed by a four through backward square off Joseph after tea, which came with Essequibo on 169-8.

He went for one shot too many off Chattergoon and picked out Pereira at wide mid off while Kevin Fredericks was caught by Joseph who was stationed at forward shortleg, handing Pereira his first wicket at this level while leaving Beaton who faced 83 deliveries and hitting one four, unbeaten on 19.

Both Chattergoon and Lewis grabbed three wickets each for 9 and 29 runs respectively in support to Johnson who had earlier taken 2-2 for Berbice, who reached 23 for the loss of Estriado’s wicket, with the batsman going via the lbw route to Anthony Adams (0-1).

When play resumes today, Chattergoon who is on 6 and Dominic Rikhi who is yet to score, should be looking to cash in on a good batting track in the hunt for quick runs.

Scoreboard
ESSEQUIBO first  innings
H. Greene b Johnson 12
V. Surajpaul c Estriado b Johnson 17
C. Blucher c Johnson b Lewis 08
K. Mc Lennon c and b Lewis 26
R. Mohabir c wkpr Mohan b Lewis 07
A. Adams c wkpr Mohan b Chattergoon 49
K. Boodie c wkpr Mohan b Mc Pherson 03
N. Ramalho lbw Chattergoon 09
R. Adams c Pereira b Chattergoon 19
R. Beaton not out 19
K. Fredericks c Joseph b Pereira 01
Extras: (b-2, lb-8, nb-7, penalty runs 5) 22
Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-35, 3-54, 4-67, 5-90, 6-138, 7-152, 8-153, 9-189, 10-192
Bowling: Joseph 13-3-34-0 (6nb), Johnson 10-4-21-2, La Fleur 7-3-22-0 (1 nb), Pereira 23.2-7-42-1, Lewis 17-4-29-3, Mc Pherson 6-2-23-1, Chattergoon 11-4-9-3

BERBICE  first innings
H. Chattergoon not out 06
R. Estriado lbw A. Adams 11
D. Rikhi not out 00
Extras (nb-2, lb-4) 06
Fall of wickets 1-23
Bowling: Beaton 5-2-8-0, Fredericks 4-0-11- (2nb), A. Adams 1-1-0-1