.. Lewis also claims 5 for Cellink Berbice
NATIONAL first class spinner Amir Khan picked up from where he left off in defending champions Cellink Berbice’s first innings to grab his second five-wicket haul in the match, as Demerara ended the second day’s play in sight of an outright victory at the Police Sports Club ground yesterday. Khan took 5-32, to follow up his first innings’ 6-41 to end with match figures of 11-73, as Cellink Berbice were bowled out for 86 in their second innings, after they themselves had bowled out Demerara for 178 earlier in the day in their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)-organised GTM Under-19 three-day Inter-county matchup, with Lloydel Lewis taking 5-35.
Set 50 for victory, Demerara lost opener Christopher Surat (1) who was adjudged lbw to Joemal La Fleur, who was asked to share the new ball with Clinton Pestano, despite getting a very thick and loud inside edge onto the pad.
They closed the day on 12 for one, with Chandrapaul Hemraj and Steve Ramdass being the not-out batsmen on 3 and 2 respectively, needing a further 38 runs to record an outright victory.
Earlier in the day, Demerara resumed on their overnight score of 58 for 3 in reply to Cellink Berbice’s 141 and saw their skipper and West Indies Under-19 batsman Kwame Crosse given two lives by La Fleur and Lewis off their own bowling in successive overs when on 10 and 15.
Following his second let off, Crosse said thank you by hitting Gudakesh Motie for four and six before he was caught at long on by Kandasammy Surujnarine off Lewis for 36 (4×4, 1×6) and was quickly followed by Kamesh Yadram who was caught by a diving Shawn Pereira at extra cover also off Lewis.
At lunch, Demerara were 120 for 6 with Dinesh Mangal and Khan their not-out batsmen on 17 and 10 respectively, with Mangal showing good use of the feet when he chipped down the wicket to hit Lewis over long on for six, shortly after Crosse’s dismissal.
After lunch, Mangal reached his half-century and the lone one of the match in convincing fashion, when he struck Linden Austin for 6, 4, 6, facing 88 deliveries and counting five sixes and three fours while batting for 90 minutes.
What was of importance for Demerara, was the 56 runs he added for the seventh wicket with Khan who made 16, before Lewis, Austin (2 for 5) and Pereira (2-44) wrapped up the innings with the defending champions trailing by 37 runs.
Such a deficit seemed huge, as Cellink Berbice slipped to 29 for 4 in their second innings, as Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) medium fast bowler Kevin Ogle who took 4-16 ripped through their top order to leave them shakily placed on 29 for 4, with Surujnarine (1), Dominique Rikhi (1), Jamally Odle (15) and Kelvin Leitch (4) being the batsmen back in the pavilion.
La Fleur stuck around to hit Khan for a six over long on while he struck both Khan and Raj Nannan for four, before he got a thick outside edge to Jahran Byron at point off the next ball, after hitting Khan for six.
His demise left Cellink Berbice on 71 for 8, but Khan, who toured Dubai with the West Indies Under-19 team alongside Crosse and Essequibo’s Ronsford Beaton earlier this year, and Ogle mopped up the tail to bowl out the opposition for 86 made off 40.2 overs at 16:29hrs.