THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Rest Team scraped past a hapless-looking Essequibo by four wickets in their first match of the GCB-organised Carib Beer/Pepsi joint-sponsored four-team Twenty20 competition at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, yesterday. Winning the toss and opting to take first strike, the Cinderella County team were bowled out for 91 off the last delivery of their 20 overs, with only Dillon Heyliger, who top-scored with 38 made off 31 balls with three sixes and two fours, offering any resistance.
Steven Latcha and Dion Ferrier who took three wickets each for 11 and 16 runs respectively did the damage with the ball for the Rest Team who made heavy weather of their target, laboured to 95-6 off 16.2 overs, thanks to  the batting of Shemroy Barrington (26) and Andrew Lyght Jr  33 not out against the bowling of Rayon Thomas 4-21.
The Essequibians’ pathetic batting approach continued when they slipped from 70-4 having lost Kenzo Baksh (5), Royan Fredericks (1), Norman Fredericks (10) and Sherwin Murray (10) in the 10th over, to be bowled out for their final score off the final delivery of their allotted 20 overs.
Dillon Heyliger fought fire with fire when he struck Kellon Carmichael (1-19) over wide long on for four, followed by the first of his three sixes struck over long on off Ferrier, before the demise of Murray who was caught at point by Carmichael off Eugene La Fleur (1-18), after adding 17 for the fourth wicket with Dillon Heyliger.
Dillon was joined by his older brother Jason and they added 30 for the fifth wicket from 4.4 overs, with Dillon Heyliger hitting both La Fleur and Gajanand Singh for sixes before he holed out to Andrew Lyght Jr at long off, after hitting Singh for his second four.
His demise saw a steady flow of Essequibo’s batsmen to and from the pavilion as they struggled to come to grips with the all-spin attack that was in operation for the Rest Team and they became the first team to fall for less than 100 in this tournament.
Having lost the wickets of Maxie De Jonge (3) and Trevon Griffith (0) who were both dismissed by Thomas in the third over, Shemroy Barrington, who opened the innings with De Jonge, cut then swept Robert Moore for back-to-back boundaries in the fourth over to push his team to 23-2.
Barrington continued with his disdainful approach with a lofted six over extra cover off Moore that pushed his team to 37-2 in the sixth over, before Singh (6) was caught by Jason Heyliger at squareleg off Dillon Heyliger.
Another four from a Thomas free-hit by Barrington brought short-lived celebrations for the Rest Team, as the bowler had Barrington who struck four fours off 28 deliveries, was caught by Dillon Heyliger at extra cover off the next delivery, leaving the opposition on 45-4 in the ninth over.
The Rest Team continued to make heavy weather of such a small target, losing La Fleur who was caught at the wicket by Baksh off Thomas, before Lyght struck Dillon Heyliger over long on for six to push his team to 72-5 after 13 overs.
Ferrier completed the win for his team, when he struck Murray back over his head for four, to remain unbeaten on 7, with Lyght who struck three fours and one six in his 33, made off 24 deliveries.
SCOREBOARD
ESSEQUIBO innings
N. Fredericks lbw Latcha    10
K. Baksh lbw Latcha    5
R. Fredericks b Carmichael    1
D. Heyliger c Lyght b G. Singh    38
S. Murray c Carmichael b La Fleur    10
J. Heyliger b Latcha    7
O. Sampson b Ferrier    3
A. Adams run-out (G. Singh)    5
R. Moore c Latchana b Ferrier    0
R. Thomas b Ferrier    3
R. Beaton not out    0
Extras: (w-8, lb-4)    12
Total: (all out, 20 overs)    91
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-17, 3-23, 4-40, 5-70, 6-73, 7-82, 8-82, 9-87.
Bowling: Carmichael 4-0-19-1, Latcha 4-0-11-3 (w-2), Ferrier 4-0-16-3 (w-3), La Fleur 4-0-18-1 (w-1), G. Singh 4-0-23-1 (w-2).  

REST Team
M. De Jonge c D. Heyliger b Thomas    3
S. Barrington c D. Heyliger b Thomas    26
T. Griffith c Murray b Thomas    0
G. Singh c J. Heyliger b D. Heyliger    3
A. Lyght not out    33
E. La Fleur c wkp. Baksh b Thomas    2
R. Latchana c D. Heyliger b Murray    4
D. Ferrier not out    7
Extras: (w-8, lb-4, nb-2)    14
Total: (for 6 wickets, 16.2 overs)    95
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-12, 3-37, 4-45, 5-59, 6-81
Bowling: Beaton 3-0-22-0 (w-2), Moore 3-0-18-0 (w-1), Thomas 4-0-21-4 (w-5, nb-2), D. Heyliger 3-0-17-1, Murray 2.2-0-8-1, Adams 1-0-6-0.