… Rikhi, Khan and Ovid-Richardson highlight dull final day
DOMINIC Rikhi struck his second half- century of this year’s tournament for Berbice, while Amir Khan scalped his third five-wicket haul and Quincy Ovid-Richardson scored his first half-century, as Demerara and Berbice played to a dull draw on the final day of their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/GTM-sponsored Under-19 three-day match at the Police Sports Club (PSC) ground, Eve Leary yesterday.

Berbice, who resumed at their overnight score of 86-1 with Rikhi on 25 and his skipper Harrinarine Chattergoon 51, in reply to Demerara’s meagre first innings score of 107, Berbice were restricted to 208-8 before they declared their innings closed 30 minutes before lunch, with Rikhi contributing 81.
Demerara reached 167-3 in their second innings, thanks to Ovid-Richardson’s shot-filled 56 and along with Kwame Crosse’s unbeaten 45 they ensured their team got the draw they needed to wrest the trophy from the Ancient County team.
Rikhi and Chattergoon extended their second-wicket partnership from 79 overnight to 114 off 31.2 overs with 15 fours and one six, before Chattergoon, who faced 91 deliveries, hitting 10 fours and one six from 126 minutes batting, was caught by Christopher Surat off Khan, who took all six Berbice wickets that went to a bowler.
Joemal La Fleur (8), Andrew Dennis (4) and Rikhi who brought up his half-century from 112 deliveries with five fours from 126 minutes of batting, were all dismissed by Khan to leave Berbice who were in the hunt for quick runs, on 176-5.
All told, Rikhi batted for 161 minutes, faced 147 deliveries, hitting nine fours and one six in his 81 and, following his demise, Berbice lost three wickets quickly before they declared their innings closed, with Sherwin McPherson who struck two sixes, unbeaten on 22. Khan ended with 6-58 to go with his 11-64 which was taken against Essequibo.
Being asked to bat for 30 minutes before lunch with a deficit of 101 runs in their second innings, Demerara got a rousing 29-run start from Ovid-Richardson who was on 8 and Shameer Fazal 18.
Both batsmen got boundaries off first class fast bowler Keon Joseph, who bowled with pace and aggression and they took the score to 45, before Fazal got a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Andy Mohan off Chattergoon.
He faced 48 deliveries and struck three fours while batting for 39 minutes in his partnership with Ovid-Richardson, who, having been given a life by Chattergoon at cover off McPherson when on 35, posted his half-century from 79 deliveries with nine fours scored whilst batting for 101 minutes.
Surat (9) never suggested permanence while at the wicket as he played and missed at several deliveries that were sent down to him by the Berbice team, who bowled all their fielders except Mohan, during his 64-minute sojourn at the wicket, wherein he added 39 for the second wicket with Richardson, before he was lbw to Joseph.
Richardson looked set to record the first ton in this year’s tournament, but a lapse in concentration cost him his wicket as he was caught by Mohan off the bowling of Lewis for a well-played 56 which was decorated with nine fours from 99 deliveries and 131 minutes of batting, at 95-3. Berbice must have scented victory at this stage, but Crosse and Hyman took their team to safety when play was called off at 17:30 h.
The two shared an unbroken 72-run fourth-wicket partnership from 56.3 overs, even surviving the new ball which was taken at 16:58 h, with Demerara on 132-3 from 90 overs and at the close of play, Crosse had reached 45 from 203 deliveries with four fours from 178 minutes of batting, while Hyman batted for 158 minutes and faced 178 deliveries for his unbeaten 24 which comprised one four.
Meanwhile, Berbice have made three changes to their team which will contest and defend the limited overs segment of this year’s tournament, commencing tomorrow, when they face Essequibo at the Blairmont Community Centre ground.
Jamally Odle, Mark Lionel and wicketkeeper Andy Mohan have been replaced by Kelvin Leitch, Kevin Ramdeen and Collis Cort respectively.
The Berbice team for the limited overs tournament reads: Harrinarine Chattergoon, Joemal La Fleur, Shawn Pereira, Dominic Rikhi, Rafael Estriado, Keon Joseph, Raun Johnson, Collis Cort, Kelvin Leitch, Kevin Ramdeen, Clinton Pestano, Sherwin McPherson, Lloydel Lewis and Andrew Dennis.

Scoreboard

DEMERARA 1st innings 107
BERBICE first innings o/night 86-1
H. Chattergoon c Surat b Khan    68
M. Lionel c Solomon b Ross    2
D. Rikhi c & b Khan    81
J. La Fleur c Fazal b Khan    4
A. Dennis c Ovid-Richardson b Khan    4
S. McPherson not out    22
K. Joseph c Ross b Khan    6
L. Lewis c Ross b Khan    6
R. Johnson run-out    1
A. Mohan not out    0
Extras: (w-6, nb-3, lb-3)    12
Total: (for 8 wkts, decl. off 54 overs)    208
Fall of wickets: 1-09, 2-123, 3-146, 4-160, 5-176, 6-180, 7-203, 8-204.
Bowling: Ross 6-0-30-1 (w-6, nb-1), Daniels 6-0-41-0 (nb-2), Stoll 5-2-19-0, Khan 22-7-58-6, Surat 11-2-41-0, Habib 4-0-16-0.
DEMERARA second innings
Q. Ovid-Richardson c Mohan b Lewis    56
S. Fazal c Mohan b Chattergoon    20
C. Surat lbw Joseph    9
C. Hyman not out    24
K. Crosse not out    45
Extras: (nb-7, b-5, w-1)    13
Total: (for 3 wkts)    167
Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-84, 3-95.
Bowling: Joseph 13-2-50-1 (nb-7), La Fleur 7-4-8-0, Johnson 8-0-29-0, Chattergoon 9-3-13-1, Lewis 12-8-7-1, Lionel 6-3-6-0, Pereira 26-16-23-0, McPherson 6-3-15-0, Dennis 4-2-4-0, Rikhi 3-0-7-0 (w-1).