RECENTLY-crowned Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) limited over champions Demerara placed themselves in the driver’s seat at the end of the second day of their GCB four-day Inter-county contest against defending champions GT&T Berbice, at the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday.

Across at the Wales Community Centre ground, the President’s XI who were bowled out for 177 on the opening day, came back to bowl out Essequibo who had resumed on 4 for 1, for 100, thanks to the efforts of Steven Latcha (5 for 26) and Raj Nannan’s 3 for 14.
Herrell Greene made a resilient 38 with two fours and one six for Essequibo, even as Seon Daniels offered Latcha and Nannan support by taking 2 for 31 for the President’s XI, who were 8 without loss when rain stopped play at 15:52hrs, with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on one and Kevon Boodie yet to score, for an overall lead of 85.
At Camp Road, Demerara resumed on their overnight score of 87 for one in pursuit of GT&T Berbice’s 168, with skipper Rajendra Chandrika on 46 and Shemroy Barrington 17. Demerara progressed to 151 without further loss at lunch, with Chandrika moving to 67 and Barrington 55 in hazy conditions.
They eventually reached 286 for 7 at the close of play, with Joseph Perry on 31 (2×4, 99 balls) and Paul Wintz 2, a lead of 118 runs heading into the penultimate day today, against the bowling of Eon Hooper (3 for 57) and Gudakesh Motie (2 for 67).
Earlier in the day, Chandrika got his half-century from 100 deliveries, without adding any boundaries to his overnight three fours and one six, while Barrington reached his off 133 deliveries with three fours, two of which were struck off Eon Hooper in consecutive overs.
As dark clouds made their way across the venue from the Atlantic Ocean, Demerara took first-innings points, but not before Chandrika got back-to-back fours off the part-time leg spin of Sewnarine Chattergoon, before GT&T Berbice got success.
They sent back Barrington, who was lbw to Zamal Khan (1 for 32) for 64, scored off 179 balls and decorated with three fours, as he added 137 for the second wicket with Chandrika, who was also lbw to Gudakesh Motie in the following over for a resilient 90 (199 balls, 5×4, 1×6), leaving Demerara on 182 for 3.
Vishal Singh and Chandrapaul Hemraj pushed the score to 184 for 3, with Singh on 2 and Hemraj 1, before a slight drizzle forced the players off the field at 13:14hrs, with Demerara leading by 16 runs.
When play resumed shortly after, Demerara posted their 200 from 86.1 overs, as the Berbicians made them labour for runs. They lost Vishal Singh, who was lbw to Eon Hooper for 17 with the score on 205 for 4 and at tea they were 207 without further loss, with Hemraj on 7 and Perry 2.
After tea, Hemraj was caught at mid on by Assad Fudadin off Gudakesh Motie for 7, leaving Demerara on 211 for 5 in slightly overcast conditions, as Zaheer Mohammed made his way to the wicket to join Perry who was on 6, having cut Hooper twice through backward point for 2.
Mohammed opened his shoulders to hit Zamal Khan through point for his team’s first boundary in the final session, followed by three more fours, one of them a thick outside edge off the lively Keon Joseph (1 for 49), backed by a six off Motie, before he was bowled by Hooper for 36.
He faced 61 deliveries and struck four fours and one six, while adding 63 for the sixth wicket with Perry, who was on 17 when Shaquille Williams (0) joined him but did not hang around, as Joseph had him adjudged lbw, leaving Demerara on 274 for 7.
Demerara, who need to win this contest outright to take the title, will be looking to build on their overall lead this morning, even as Hooper and Motie try to keep GT&T Berbice in the contest on a wicket that is beginning to show signs of keeping low.