… Berbice make light work over National Select Under-15

ON a sluggish Lusignan Community Centre ground outfield, and a venue where the washroom facility was made unavailable by the Mon Repos/La Reconnaissance Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Demerara capitalised on limp batting effort from Essequibo to pull off an easy 65-run win yesterday in round one of the GCB’s Inter-county Under-17 one-day tournament.

Defending 143, Demerara managed to restrict their opponents to 78 off 31.2 overs. Left-arm spinner Hrithik Singh, leg-spinner Niron Bissu and off-spinner Dwayne Dick claimed eight wickets between them which crippled the Essequibo innings.
Singh finished with 3-27, Bissu claimed 3-6 to earn the man-of-the-match honours while Dick had 2-8. Pacer Travon Charles (1-11) was the other successful bowler for the winners.
Earlier in the day, pacers Sylvan Williams and Sheldon Charles combined in a devastating new-ball spell to reduce the hosts’ innings to 21-5 in the tenth over.

True to what both captains had estimated, the pitch assisted pace upfront. The bowlers could extract bounce and batting first against some quality fast bowling wasn’t easy.
Decided to bat first, the hosts twice dug themselves out of holes to reach 143-9. Andre Seepersaud produced a resolute effort in a composed 42 while Yeudistir Persaud got 29, and Bissu 17, in an ordinary batting display.

The 15-year-old Williams, who finished with 3-19, removed Navindra Persaud (8), Andrew Samaroo and Dick without scoring in the seventh over, while Charles had Himnauth Dindyal (0) and Sachin Singh for eight.
However, the hosts recovered well through a 56-run stand between Persaud and Seepersaud. Persaud appeared in good touch, hitting a four and a six off spinner Mahesh Ramnarine before he was taken at the wicket off Charles, who finished with 3-21 off his ten overs.

The left-handed Seepersaud, meanwhile, began to flourish and with Bissu combined in an eventful 66-run, seventh-wicket to prop up the innings. Seepersaud struck two fours and a six in an innings which spanned 121 balls before off-spinner Badesh Parsotam (2-7) claimed both batsmen.
Jason Holder was the other batsman who was dismissed, bowled by Azim Mohamed without scoring.

The visitors never came to terms with the challenging run chase and wilted early.
Wasim Mohamed departed for four, caught at the wicket off Travon Charles, while his opening partner Ameer Singh (11) was caught on the long-on boundary off Singh.
Charles (13) was then trapped leg-before-wicket to off-spinner Dick before Singh removed Azim Mohamed (1) and Mahesh Ramnarine (3), to leave Essequibo struggling at 46-5 in 15.1 overs.

Captain Lance Roberts and Williams then temporarily halted the slide, offering hope of Essequibo resurgence, but when Bissu claimed the wicket of Williams for 12, the visitors folded soon after.
Meanwhile, in the other first-round game Berbice defeated the National Select Under-15 team by 115 runs at Bourda.

Scores in the match: Berbice 267-9. Seon Glasgow stroked 110, which included five sixes and nine fours. Nigel Deodat scored a patient half-century, while opener Fawaz Gafoor made an aggressive 35. Bowling for the National Select Under-15, Isaiah Thorne was the most destructive, grabbing 3-30 while Jonathon Rampersaud and Zachary Jodah took 2-50 and 2-36 respectively.

In reply, the National Select Under-15’s were bowled out for 152. Mavendra Dindyal top-scored with 32, off 71 balls. Revoldo Phillips supported well with 29. Bowling for Berbice, Saif Amoi grabbed 3-30 while Jevon Schultz and Nigel Deodat took 2-36 and 2-21 respectively.
Round two is scheduled for tomorrow.