FORMER Guyana and West Indies opener Ryan Ramdass struck a patient century for Everest Cricket Club (ECC) who hosted Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) at Camp Road yesterday, as action in the Georgetown Cricket Association-organised Hadi’s Mall Incorporated two-day first division cricket competition continued.

At the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ground Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) led by six runs with six second-innings wickets intact, while at the Demerara Cricket Club ground, the home team were locked in an intense battle for first-innings points with their nemesis Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC).
At Camp Road, the 29-year-old Ramdass who was returning from a shoulder injury struck 16 fours and three sixes in his 150, adding 243 for the first wicket with 16-year-old national selectee Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who struck five fours in his 79.
Chandrapaul Hemraj chipped in with 22 for ECC who scored 306 for 6 declared off 79 overs against the bowling of Joey Shivgobin who took 4 for 26 for GYO, who at the end of the day’s play were 26 without loss from 13 overs.
At DCC, GCC won the toss and, opting to bat first in hazy conditions, slipped to 150 for 7, losing the wickets of Wasim Haslim and Winston Forrester who both made 10, Ellon Fernandes (21), Vishal Singh (22), Gavin Singh (5) and Almando Damon (12).
Skipper Leon Johnson had just struck a short delivery from Trevon Griffith over wide midwicket for six, before he holed out to Jahron Byron at long on off the same bowler two deliveries later.
A face-saving 84-run eighth-wicket partnership between Gavon Charles who made 52 (5×4, 2×6) and Raj Nannan 34 (4×4) helped push GCC to 261 scored off 68.3 overs, as Griffith 4 for 92 and Christopher Barnwell 3 for 63 did the damage with the ball.
When DCC began their reply, they got a rapid start of 51 from Griffith and Leroy Primo, with the former hitting Bernard Bailey for four fours in one over, including an audacious drive through cover point.
DCC lost both Primo (15) and Byron (0) who were both brilliantly caught by Doman at mid on off Johnson, to be 66 for 2 before Griffith, who posted his half-century off 35 balls with nine fours, added 35 for the third wicket with Barnwell.
Barnwell, the national Super50 vice-captain, contributed 23 to that partnership which included a six that was struck back over the head of Gavin Singh, before he got a thick outside edge off Johnson, straight to Haslim at gully point.
It was the final success for GCC, as Andrew Gibson joined forces with Griffith to see their team to the close on 125 for 3, with Griffith on 77 (12×4) and Gibson 5, while Johnson has so far taken 3 for 22.
At GDF, the home team were bowled out for 93 by MSC, with Steven Jacobs picking up 5 for 20 and Seon Daniels 3 for 33, to which MSC replied with 143, thanks to Orin Forde 45, Delvon McEwan 43 and Jacobs 24.
Jeremiah Harris and Paul Castello took three wickets each for GDF and Travis Blyden two, while their team reached 56 for 4 at the close of play, with Jacobs picking up three more wickets while Blyden is unbeaten on 16 and Carlos La Rose one.