ON a day where spinners on both sides dominated, hosts Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) closed the opening day of their Gise/Star Party Rentals/Trophy Stall first division two-day cricket game against powerhouse Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) as the happier of the two sides.

Chasing a first-innings total of 228, DCC were 175-8 when bails were lifted, 53 runs away from the first-innings target with two wickets at their disposal.

When play commenced in bright sunshine, the home team won the toss and decided to bat first. Their openers, national player Robin Bacchus, who dominated an opening stand with some classy stroke-play, and Jeetendra Sookdeo, an elegant left-handed batsman, added 82 runs for the first wicket to lay a firm foundation.

However, part-time spinner Trevon Griffith, who claimed 8-53 off 17.2 overs, broke the backbone of the innings. He first removed the former national youth player Sookdeo, for 28, with four boundaries before he had the left-handed Bacchus taken at the wicket for 57, inclusive of ten boundaries.

Thereafter, Winston Forrester struck nine fours and a six in a composed 58 while Ronaldo Alimohamed (29), Bernard Bailey (22), and Leon Johnson (12) were the other batsmen to reach double figures, as Griffith and West Indies Under-19 left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd (2-28) were the chief destroyers.

In reply, the DCC spinners struck at crucial intervals with Griffith returning to score an attacking 58 (7×4, 3×6).

The Queenstown-based side lost Raymond Perez without scoring to Alimohamed and Tevin Imlach (8), bowled by off-spinner Forrester before Griffith and Joshua Persaud (28), put up a fight.

Soon after reaching his fifty, Griffith along with Sachin Singh went, in quick succession, to Forrester. Griffith was trapped leg-before-wicket while Singh was taken on the long-on boundary.

The former West Indies youth player Persaud was joined by Jahron Byron but the partnership did not blossom, as left-arm spinner Devon Lord trapped Persaud leg-before, at 105-5.

 At that point Steven Sankar and Byron joined forces and added 59 runs for the sixth wicket, with Sankar playing the attacking role, hitting three fours and two sixes in his 37.

But the visiting side lost both batsmen to left-arm spinner Stephon Wilson along with Ashmead Nedd towards the close.

Play resumes at 09:30hrs today.