GCB/GTM Under-19 tourney …
… Rikhi hits resilient half-century for defending champions
MANAGER Alvin Johnson asked his charges to be competitive following their innings defeat against Demerara in their first round match last week and the young Essequibians responded by snatching first innings points from defending champions Berbice at the end of the second day of their second round Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/GTM Under-19 Inter-county three-day fixture at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground, yesterday.
Cheered on by a handful of vociferous supporters, the home team who were bowled out for 192 on the first day, responded by bowling out their opposition for 186 despite a resilient 66 from 17-year-old Dominic Rikhi and at the close, they had increased their six-run first innings lead to 42, despite losing skipper Herell Greene (2).
Scores to date, Essequibo 192 and 36-1, Berbice 186.
It was an all-round effort from the Essequibo youths who displayed a never-say-die attitude, even though Rikhi, who was making his debut at this level, also displayed same, while batting for 259 minutes and facing 228 deliveries, hitting seven of them for four in his innings.
He displayed grit, stamina and determination as he batted through the first two sessions of play yesterday with his highest partnership being the 46 he added with his Rose Hall Town Pepsi teammate Lloydel Lewis who made a gritty 19 before he was run-out.
Berbice resumed the day on 23-1 with skipper Harrinarine Chattergoon who went on to make 29, on three, and Rikhi 2 and they took the score to 59, before Chattergoon who had struck boundaries off Ronsford Beaton (2-32) and Vijay Surajpaul, picked out the latter on the deep midwicket boundary off Ravendra Mohabir’s first delivery of the match.
He faced 82 deliveries and struck four fours while batting for 94 minutes and what was 59-2 at his demise, should have been 59-3, had Mohabir not floored a return chance that was offered by Rikhi who was on seven, with the batsman responding by hitting the next two deliveries for boundaries.
Jamal La Fleur (1), Sherwin McPherson (2) and Jamally Odle (2) were back in the pavilion thanks to Mohabir who snared three quick wickets to leave Berbice on 82-5, which was pushed to 100-5 at lunch, with Rikhi on 25 and wicketkeeper Andy Mohan 8.
Rikhi received another life after lunch. This time Neil Ramalho grassed an overhead chance off the bowling of Mahadeo when on 32 at 115-5, but that miss was not costly with regard to the partnership between Mohan and Rikhi, as Ramalho redeemed himself by snapping him up at backward point off Ricardo Adams.
At this point, Essequibo who were a cheery bunch on and off the field, scented first-innings victory and became complacent, enabling Rikhi and Lewis to post 46 valuable runs for Berbice, with Rikhi posting his maiden 50 which took him 190 balls and 192 minutes to compile, with six fours.
When Lewis, who struck one four in his 19 made off 63 deliveries from 69 minutes of batting, was run-out after being sent back by Rikhi at 161-7, Essequibo found themselves back in the driver’s seat for the first time in this year’s tournament.
Fast bowler Keon Joseph is not known for his batting ability, but he hung around with Rikhi to take his team to 174-7 at tea, against the second new ball, with Joseph on 4, struck off fast bowler Kevin Fredericks and Rikhi 64.
Essequibo got rid of Joseph and Rikhi in quick succession after tea, with the former picking out Surajpaul at point off Beaton while Rikhi’s long vigil came to an end courtesy of a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Keron McLennon, who had earlier effected a magnificent stumping to remove McPherson, off Anthony Adams.
The host team started celebrations 28 minutes after tea, when Raun Johnson (4) who had edged Beaton through the slips for his lone boundary, got a short, lifting delivery from Beaton which he managed to glove to Ricardo Adams at second slip, leaving Shawn Pereira who survived a series of short deliveries from Beaton, unbeaten on 3.
Anthony Adams who bowled unchanged from the start of play until 10 minutes before tea, ended with 3-30 and received support from Mohabir (3-55) and Beaton 2-32.
Asked to bat an hour and 15 minutes to the close of play, Essequibo lost Greene who, having survived a torrid four overs of pace and short deliveries from Joseph, was lbw to La Fleur, but Christopher Blucher (16) and Kevin Boodie (15) responded with boundaries off Pereira and Lewis, to see their team to 36-1 and an overall lead of 42 runs with nine wickets in hand at the close.
An exciting final day is anticipated as the home team, who won first innings points from Demerara at the same venue last year, will be looking to avoid a second-innings collapse and at least finish the three-day format of this year’s tournament on a high.

ESSEQUIBO first innings 192
BERBICE overnight 23-1
H. Chattergoon c Surajpaul b Mohabir    29
R. Estriado lbw A. Adams    11
D. Rikhi c wkp. McLennon b A. Adams    66
J. La Fleur lbw A. Adams    1
S. McPherson stp. Wkp. McLennon b Mohabir    2
J. Odle c R. Adams b Mohabir    10
A. Mohan c Ramalho b R. Adams    16
L. Lewis run-out    19
K. Joseph c Surajpaul b Beaton    5
S. Pereira not out    3
R. Johnson c R. Adams b Beaton    4
Extras: (b-4, lb-9, nb-6, w-1)    20
Total: (all out off 90.3 overs)    186
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-56, 3-59, 4-60, 5-82, 6-115, 7-161, 8-177, 9-179.
Bowling: Beaton 13.3-4-32-3, Fredericks 7-1-18-0 (nb-2, w-1), A. Adams 29-11-30-3, Surajpaul 10-4-18-0, Mohabir 16-4-55-3 (nb-1), R. Adams 15-5-21-1 (nb-3).
ESSEQUIBO second innings
H. Greene lbw La Fleur    2
K. Boodie not out    15
C. Blucher not out    16
Extras: (nb-3)    3
Total: (for one wicket, off 23 overs)    36
Fall of wickets: 1-8.
Bowling: Joseph 4-1-4-0 (nb-3), La Fleur 5-1-12-1, Johnson 1-0-2-0, Lewis, 3-`1-7-0, Pereira 6-4-6-0, McPherson 2-0-2-0, Chattergoon 2-1-3-0.