Police ahead against Everest, Malteenoes bat all day against GCC

SEVEN wickets from left-arm orthodox spinner Heimchan Persaud and a half-century from Andrew Lyght Jr propelled home team Police to a first-innings lead against the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) in one of the two Noble House Seafoods second-division two-day semi-finals played in Georgetown yesterday.
In the other match, Malteenoes had the advantage against the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) after they batted all day to reach 211 for five..

DOMINANT PERSAUD
At the Eve Leary ground, Police won the toss and asked the visitors to take first strike. Everest never settled. A few batsmen got starts, but none took control of the opening bowling. The former Essequibo senior inter-county player Persaud then took over and routed the middle- and lower-order as he grabbed seven wickets for 12 runs from 8.4 overs – his best bowling figures of his career.

Everest moved from 37-3 to 137 all out as Persaud bowled wicket to wicket.
Gavin Sookdeo struck four fours and two sixes in a score of 37 to lead the visitors, while Dwayne Adams 22, Ushardeva Balgobin 21 (2×4, 2×6) and Richie Looknauth 21, all had starts.

The home team looked in total control when they batted, as Lyght (9×4, 1×6) dismantled the bowling attack. He punished the eventual hero of Everest, Javed Rasheed, for 18 runs from his third over and raced to his half-century in 26 balls.
Openers Lyght (69) and Reginald Rodrigues (36) batted their way to an 85-run partnership, but both fell to Rasheed, who added life to the visitors towards the end of the day.

The left-arm spinner, who finished with figures of 4-70 from 14 overs, grabbed two wickets in his 14th over and another in the 15th over.
By the close of play, Police were ahead by five runs, as they closed on 142-4 off 35 overs.

MALTEENOES BATTING
The clash at Bourda was less eventful as Malteenoes reached 211-5 after batting all day. Opener Stephon Browne led the visitors with a half-century. He and Clarence Baird manoeuvred a quality bowling lineup of the home side to score a 100 for the second-wicket.

Browne, who struck seven fours and two sixes, finished with 66 runs, while Baird added 46 (3×4, 2×6), but both became victims of West Indies U-19 bowling all-rounder Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed.

The seamer and GCC opener bowler Bernard Bailey did the damage. Bailey grabbed the other three wickets.
At the close of play Shaquille Moseley and Tuen Hicks were unbeaten on 33 and 15 respectively for Malteenoes.