Ramdeen powers Berbice past Essequibo
… Fredericks and Chattergoon hit half-centuries; Demerara, Berbice clash today at GCC
BERBICE opener Richard Ramdeen yesterday inked his name into the minds of the senior selection committee when he struck a belligerent ton to power defending champions Berbice past Essequibo in their first round encounter of the Guyana Cricket Board/El Dorado Inter-county limited overs competition at the Blairmont Community Centre ground.
Ramdeen struck 12 fours and three sixes in his 62-ball 102 and along with Sewnarine Chattergoon’s unbeaten 86 (10×4, 1×6), took Berbice to 211-2 from 28.5 overs, in reply to Essequibo’s 210-7 made off their 48 overs, with Norman Fredericks leading the way with a patient 93 (7×4, 1×6).
Earlier, Berbice won the toss and opting to bowl first in sultry conditions against a youthful Essequibo lineup, saw Norman Fredericks, who opened the batting with his younger brother and skipper Royan Fredericks 24 (2×4), add 91 for the first wicket from 23.3 overs.
Berbice had the opportunity to remove Norman Fredericks when he was on two with the score on 4 in the second over, but Royston Crandon grassed the opportunity that was presented off Keon Joseph who bowled with pace and aggression, in the second over of Essequibo’s innings.
The elder Fredericks rubbed salt into the wound by hitting Esaun Crandon forward of square for four followed by a back driven four all along the ground, as Essequibo raced to 30 without loss after the first power play which lasted for nine overs.
The Cinderella County 50 was posted in the 17th over, with Norman Fredericks on 28 and his brother Royan on 19, following the latter’s four that was struck off national left-arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul (1-41).
Berbice kept a tight rein on things and removed Royan Fredericks who was caught by R. Crandon at point off Narsingh Deonarine (3-39), who later removed brothers Dillon and Jason Heyliger for 12 and 0 respectively, as Essequibo slipped from 91-0 to 127-3 after 34 overs.
Norman Fredericks soldiered on despite seeing the wickets crumble at the other end and reached his 50 from 82 deliveries with five fours, before he was caught by Jonathan Foo who had to run around from midwicket to wide backward square to complete the catch.
All told, Norman Fredericks faced 141 deliveries and struck seven fours and a six over midwicket off Deonarine, with the ball ricocheting off Foo after he failed to hold onto the catch.
Prior to his demise at 168-6, he had struck Permaul for back-to-back fours, followed by another four off a Devendra Bishoo no-ball (one of 4 sent down by the right-arm leg-spinner), even as Essequibo lost Navishal Pooran (5) and Trevor Benn (6) before him.
Some lusty hitting by Robert Moore (9), who struck his first delivery from Permaul over wide long on for six and Balchand Shivamber who struck the final two deliveries of his team’s innings for a six and four in his unbeaten 34 (4×4, 1×6), guided Essequibo to their eventual total.
Chattergoon and Ramdeen got things started for Berbice in an explosive fashion, with Ramdeen who played one match for Guyana in the just concluded Airtel Champions League T20 competition, hitting Dillon Heyliger for a hat-trick of fours off successive balls.
Chattergoon refused to be left out of the boundary-hitting scenario that set tongues wagging at the venue, with three blazing fours, each shot better than the previous one off Ronsford Beaton as Berbice raced to 73 without loss from seven overs.
Ramdeen was the first of the two to post his half-century, doing so from 33 deliveries with nine fours while Chattergoon followed shortly after, counting eight fours in his 50, even as Berbice raced to 115 without loss from 15 overs.
Ramdeen was given a life by Norman Fredericks who grassed a powerfully struck delivery while stationed at short cover off Anthony Adams when the batsman was on 48 with Berbice on 84-0. After passing his half-century, Ramdeen, who was watched by all three members of the senior selection panel, opened his shoulders with two sixes struck off Royan Fredericks and Jason Heyliger.
Ramdeen blazed his way to his ton, the first of this year’s tournament, with another six off Adams along with two sweetly timed fours to the extra cover boundary, as he posted his century from 61 deliveries, counting 12 fours and one six in the process.
All told, it took the 22-year-old right-hander who opens batting for Young Warriors, 27 more deliveries to score his second 50 of the match, before he was bowled by Jason Heyliger at 180 in the 22nd over, when he looked to hit the bowler back over his head and lost his bat in the process.
Despite witnessing the demise of Ramdeen and later on Foo for 13, Chattergoon continued to soldier on for his County and along with Anthony Bramble who was unbeaten on 5, sealed the win in the 29th over at 15:30 h.
Weather permitting, Berbice will be facing their nemesis Demerara who will be led by Ramnaresh Sarwan and include Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Travis Dowlin, Leon Johnson, Christopher Barnwell and Derwin Christian at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground from 09:30 h today in a second-round fixture.

Scoreboard

ESSEQUIBO innings

N. Fredericks c Foo b R. Crandon    93
R. Fredericks c R. Crandon b Deonarine    24
D. Heyliger c E. Crandon b Deonarine    12
J. Heyliger c&b Deonarine    0
N. Pooran run-out    5
T. Benn c Foo b Permaul    6
B. Shivamber not out    34
R. Moore stp. Bramble b R. Crandon    9
A. Adams not out    1
Extras: (w-15, lb-7, nb-4)    26
Total: (for 7 wkts, 48 overs)    210
Fall of wickets: 1-91, 2-126, 3-127, 4-145, 5-160, 6-168, 7-199.
Bowling: E. Crandon 6-0-21-0 (w-2), Joseph 6-0-15-0 (w-1), Permaul 9-0-41-1 (w-2), R. Crandon 7-0-52-2 (w-6), Bishoo 10-0-35-0 (nb-4, w-2), Deonarine 10-2-39-3 (w-2).
BERBICE innings
S. Chattergoon not out    86
R. Ramdeen b J. Heyliger    102
J. Foo lbw R. Fredericks    13
A. Bramble not out    5
Extras: (b-2, lb-1, nb-1, w-1)    5
Total: (for two wickets, 28.5 overs)    211
Fall of wickets: 1-180, 2-205.
Bowling: Benn 2-0-21-0 (nb-1), D. Heyliger 2-0-22-0, Beaton 2-0-22-0, Moore 6-0-38-0, Adams 5-0-33-0 (w-1), R. Fredericks 4.5-0-34-1, J. Heyliger 6-1-27-1, N. Fredericks 1-0-11-0.