By Rajiv Bisnauth

DEFENDING champions Berbice crumbled to a pathetic innings-and-60-run defeat to Essequibo in their opening round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)-sponsored Hand-in-Hand Insurance Company Under-19 three-day cricket tournament yesterday, at the Enterprise Busta Sports Club.Made to follow-on, their second innings unfolded as a horror show for the Berbicians. They fared even worse and were wiped out for 93 in 40 overs with off-spinner Looknauth Chinkoo being the chief destroyer bagging 5-35, to finish with a match-haul of 8-74.
However, it was Keemo Paul who was awarded Man-of-the-Match for his all-round effort.
Joel Seetram 18 and Ritesh Omroa 11 were the only Berbice batsmen into double figures in their second innings.
Resuming on 71-5, 79 runs to avoid the follow-on, Berbice had the worst of starts. Overnight batsman Joshua Harrichand was removed by Chinkoo for 33 inside the third over of the day.
Fast-rising medium pacer, Paul, who resumed the day with two wickets, went on not only to make the second breakthrough of the day, when he bowled Sasenarine Sookhoo (1), but also to finish the innings with figures of 4-13 in 11.3 overs.
Chinkoo further dented Berbice with the wickets of Omroa (4) and Nicholas Seenarine (6), to end with figures of 3-39.
Paul then bowled Sylus Tyndall for two to close the innings, 46 minutes into the day’s play, with Berbice managing to add only 22 runs in 13 overs.
Left-arm spinner Akenie Adams, who was the architect in Berbice’s batting meltdown late on day two finished with 3-14.
Faced with a deficit of 153, Berbice displayed little character after they were asked to follow-on.
Their chronically weak batting imploded again, and by the lunch interval they had lost five wickets for just 47.
The 17-year-old Chinkoo sliced through the top order, claiming the wickets of Harrichand (3), Matthew Hardial (5) and Brandon Prashad (0).
However, it was pacer Reaz Khan, who started the misery for Berbice when he had Adrian Sukwah (6) caught by Keemo Paul in the slips after the ball rebounded from wicketkeeper Nathan Persaud.
Fellow opener Omroa was among the five wickets to fall during that period.
After the interval, Berbice lost their last five wickets in another disastrous period, with Chinkoo, Adams and Paul sharing the final five wickets.
Adams ended with figures of 2-12, while Paul and Khan were the other successful second-innings bowlers.
Meanwhile, in the other first-round game; Demerara whipped the Select Under-17 team by seven wickets. (Scores in the match: Select Under-17 90 and 160; Demerara 190 and 62-3).
The second round is scheduled to commence tomorrow with Demerara playing Berbice at Everest and Essequibo opposing the Select Under-17 at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground.