…but Demerara did not enforce the follow-on and bat again

By Sean Devers
ON the back of 5-43 from left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd, Demerara were in firm control against the Select X1 when the second day of their four-day Inter-County cricket at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ended yesterday on a day when 16 wickets tumbled.

Demerara, opting not enforce the follow-on after dismissing the Select X1 for 166 in reply to their 419, Demerara had extended their 253 lead to 345 and were 92-4 at stumps yesterday with Chris Barnwell on 36 and Akshaya Persaud on 26.

The pair has so far put on 59 in an unfinished stand with Demitri Cameron and Carlos Larose picking up two wickets each.

In Demerara’s first innings, Shamar Yearwood, 94 overnight, reached 105 while Ashmead Nedd made 46 not out as Jonathan Rampersaud had 3-82 while Kelvin Umroa and Shane Wong took two each.

In the select X1 innings, Umroa (32) and Rajendra Chandrika (28) offered token resistance as Nedd (5-43) and Richie Looknauth (3-51) doing the damage.

The day began in bright sunshine with Demerara, overnight on 360-8 with Yearwood on 94 and Sankar on 11.

Yearwood reached his century from 163 balls 176 minutes with six fours and four sixes before he was dropped by Wong at cover next ball off Larose.

With the score on 397, Larose had Yearwood caught at first slip for 105 from 174 balls, 197 minutes with six fours and four sixes.

Sankar looked positive and along with last man Qumar Torrington saw the 400 posted.

Rampersaud was introduced and after being struck for six had Torrington (13) caught in the deep as the innings ended at 10:23 AM leaving Nedd unbeaten on 46 from 55 balls with six fours and a six.

The Select X1 who reached 33-1 by Lunch as Oswin Blair (5) was lbw to Richie Looknauth and on the struck of Lunch when he inexplicably played no shot to a ball that would have hit middle stump.

Chandrika who played an imperious on-drive for four of Renaldo Ali Mohammed, was unbeaten on 24.

After the interval, Chandrika was lbw to Nedd after hitting five fours in a 38-ball 28 to leave his team on 40-2.

Wong (1) never suggested permanence and was bowled Nedd at 58-3 before Alvin Mohabir was taken at slip after playing a T20 like innings; making 20 from 21 balls with four fours, as Nedd struck at 69-5.

Jeremiah Scott (10) stroked Looknauth for consecutive fours before he had a ‘brain freeze’ and slug-swept Looknauth to deep mid-wicket at 69-6. Worse was to come when Nathan Persaud played no shot to a ball from Looknauth and was bowled at 77-6.

The mediocre batting continued unabated when David Williams (5) played lackadaisical defensive shot to Nedd and was bowled as the Select X1 slumped from 58-2 to 82-7 as five wicket tumbled for 24 runs.

Larose and Rampersaud joined forces and watched by small but raucous crowd, the pair brought up the 100 in 32 overs.

But with partnership on 38 and score on 120, Larose opted to ‘leave alone’ to Torrington and his stump went for a walk after he had face 49 balls, batted for just over an hour and hit three boundaries in 21.

Umroa and Rampersaud took their team to tea at 137-8 and after the break the posted 39 between them before Rampersaud (18) played across the line was lbw to Stephon Sankar at 159-9 before Nedd had Umroa caught behind for 33.

Demerara batted a second time and Sachin Singh (4) and Navindra Persaud (0) were quickly dismissed to leave Demerara 9-2.

Cameron, who had removed Singh, had Raymond Perez (8) caught behind at 20-3 and Larose got rid of Renaldo Ali-Mohammed (8) at 33-4.

Ali-Mohammed who was caught at long-off for 94 in the first innings, fell in identical fashion, only this time it off a pacer as the batter fell to trap set by his GCC mate.
Chris Barnwell, who missed on the runs feast in the first innings, and Akshaya Persaud saw Demerara safely to the close.

Scoreboard
Demerara 1st inns O/N 360-8
Shamar Yearwood c Chandrika b Larose 105
Stephon Sankar not out 46
Qumar Torrington c Larose b Rampersaud 13
Extras 22(b-16, 1b-3, nb-3)
Total 101.4 overs
Fow: 7, 58, 58, 80, 169, 246, 300, 342, 397, 419
Bowling
Cameron 19-4-76-2 Larose 19-3-71-1,
Williams 4-1-10-0, Rampersaud, 24.4-7-82-3,
Umroa 22-4-93-2, Wong 13-0-67-2
Select XI 1st inns
Rajendra Chandrika lbw b Nedd 28
Oswin Blair lbw b Looknauth 5
Alvin Mohabir c A Persaud b Nedd 20
Shane Wong b Nedd 1
Jerimiah Scott c Torrington b Looknauth 10
Carlos Larose b Torrington 21
Nathan Persaud b Looknauth 4
Jonathan Rampersaud lbw b Sankar 18
Kelvin Umroa c Wkp Yearwood b Nedd 33
Demitri Cameron not out 1
Extras 21 (b-16, w-8)
Total 166 all out 46.4 overs
Fow, 33, 40, 58, 69, 69, 77, 82, 120
Bowling
Torrington 7-0-25-1, Barnwell 6-3-7-0,
Ali Mohammed 5-3-10-0, Looknauth 11-2-51-3,
Nedd 15.5-4-43-5
Demerara 2nd Inns
Sachin Singh lbw Cameron 4
Navindra Persaud c Wkp Nathan Persaud b Larose 0
Raymond Perez c Wkp Persaud b Cameron 8
Akshaya Persaud not out 25
Renaldo Ali Mohammed c Rampersaud b Larose 8
Chris Barnwell not out 36
Extras 11 (b-5, lb-2, w-3)
Total 92-4
FoW:7, 9, 20, 33
Bowling
Cameron 7-1-23-2, Larose 8-1-20-2,
Williams 2-0-17-0, Umroa 4-0-16-0
Rampersaud 3-0-8-0