Surujnarine shines as Berbice thrash National U-19s
… Demerara scrape past Essequibo

FOLLOWING their six consecutive victories in the recently concluded West Indies Cricket Board Regional Under-19 limited overs tournament, the Brian Sattaur-led Guyana Under-19 team were brought back down to earth yesterday by Berbice, who recorded a mammoth 105-run opening round victory at the Everest Cricket Club ground.The two sides were meeting in the first round of the Guyana Cricket Board senior Inter-county limited overs tournament, where the Under-19 lads were making their debut. Berbice won the toss and opted to bat first in brilliant sunshine.
Thanks to 81 from Kandasammy Surujnarine who was later named Man-of-the-Match by the adjudicator and Match Referee Reon King, 54 from Devon Clements, a swashbuckling 31 from Veerasammy Permaul and 30 from Jonathan Foo, the Berbicians posted 278 for 7 from their 50 overs.
Damion Waldron, who bowled a much better line and length in comparison to some of his spells delivered during the Regional tournament, took 2 for 33 for the national youth side, who were forced to make do without their number one spinner in Shiraz Ramcharran, who picked up a first-ball injury.
In their turn at the crease, the Youths were struggling at 68 for 5, before Kemo Paul resisted the pain from a finger injury to blast three fours and a similar number of sixes in his 47, backed by 28 from Ronaldo Ali-Mohammed and 26 from Kemol Savory.
Berbice skipper Narsingh Deonarine and Krisendat Ramoo took three wickets each for 26 and 37 runs respectively, as their side completed the comfortable win by bowling out their opponents for 173 in 47.5 overs.
Earlier in the contest, Berbice lost Seon Hetmyer (8) who was lbw to Paul at 28 for 1, before Surujnarine and Clements added 101 for the second wicket, with Clements posting his 50 from 72 balls, counting three fours and two sixes that was struck off Steven Sankar (1 for 60).
Surujnarine followed suit shortly after, posting his 50 from 74 balls with five fours, following which he opened up his shoulders and struck Sankar for 4 and 6 in the bowler’s final over, following the demise of Clements who was caught by Paul at long off, off Sankar.
Berbice lost Surujnarine who was bowled off the first delivery of the 36th over by Waldron, but boisterous hitting from Deonarine who steered Paul for two fours, Foo and later Permaul, who took a six and four in the final over from Ali-Mohammed, steered the Ancient County to their eventual total.
When the Under-19 lineup began their reply, they were rocking at 68 for 5 in the 18th over, losing Shimron Hetmyer 9 (1×4) who was caught by his elder brother Seon at backward square leg off Keon Joseph, Sattaur (0), Ashkay Homraj (10), Baldeo (0) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul 21 (3×4).
During this time, Paul retired hurt after aggravating a finger injury, doing so at 55 for 2 off 11 overs, with his personal contribution at the time being 11.
Ali-Mohammed and Savory revived the innings with their 45-run sixth-wicket partnership, which saw Ali-Mohammed pull Ramoo for 6, after chalking up back-to-back fours off Permaul, before Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai removed him.
Savory followed in the next over, bowled by Deonarine when he attempted to run a quicker ball to third man, before Paul, who resumed his innings at Ali-Mohammed’s demise, threw caution to the wind and hit both Permaul and Ramoo for sixes back over their head, after doing the same to Deonarine.
But when he was dismissed, stumped by Anthony Bramble off Ramoo, it was all over for the national youth side, as Deonarine wasted little time in mopping up the tail, to hand his side the massive first round victory.
Across at the Wales Community Centre ground, a star-studded Demerara lineup, which included 10 players who represented Guyana at the senior level within the past five years, were made to work overtime by a determined Essequibo lineup, before they came out on top by two wickets.
Asked to bat first by their opponents, the Cinderella County squandered a 62-run first-wicket stand between Kevon Boodie 42 (6×4) and Norman Fredericks (12) and were dismissed for 152 which was scored off 39.2 overs, with only Hemchand Persaud 26 (29 balls, 2×6, 1×4) showing resistance.
National off-spinners Steven Jacobs (4 for 32) and Zaheer Mohammed 3 for 16, did the damage with the ball for Demerara, , in rely saw their openers Andrew Lyght Jr. 38 (7×4) and Trevon Griffith 47 (38 balls, 8×4, 1×6) adding 93 for the first wicket.
But just like the Essequibians, Demerara wasted that start and were reduced to 138 for 7, thanks to the bowling of skipper Anthony ‘Kunta’ Adams (5 for 38) and his unrelated deputy Ricardo Adams who took 3 for 19.
Among the lot were Robin Bacchus (16), Rajendra Chandrika (12), skipper Christopher Barnwell (7), Chandrapaul Hemraj (1) and Jacobs (1), before Mohammed and Shemroy Barrington pushed the score to 147, at which point Mohammed was lbw to Anthony Adams for 2.
Despite the fall of wickets, Barrington who strolled to the crease at 126 for 4, found a useful ally in Paul Wintz (6), who partnered him to take Demerara to victory as they finished on 153 for 8 off 28.4 overs, with Barrington being unbeaten on 10.
The second round will bowl off tomorrow with Demerara and Berbice clashing at Wales and not the Enmore Community Centre ground as was previously mentioned, while Essequibo will take on the National Under-19 at the Demerara Cricket Club ground.

(By Calvin Roberts)