Wilson leads Demerara to 7th consecutive title
By Sean Devers

IN sweltering heat at the Everest ground yesterday, defending champions Demerara were led by an entertaining 84 from Vickash Wilson to beat Berbice by five-wickets to earn their seventh consecutive GCB Inter County 50-over U-17 cricket tournament.
Wicket-keeper/batter Wilson made 84 from 82 balls with 11 fours and three sixes while Nicolas Seepersaud hit 46 from 62 balls with five boundaries while tournament leading run-scorer Jonathan Van Lange hit three fours and six in his 26 to take his run aggregate to 184 runs.

Sachin Balgobin chipped in with an unbeaten 22 while Ryan Latif made a carefully constructed 19 as Demerara, chasing the 214 all out in 47.4 overs, galloped to 217-5 with 4.1 overs to spare.
Berbice were earlier led by Rampertab Ramnauth with 66 from 93 balls with six fours and a six to follow up his 63 against the GCB’s Select X1, but although Kevin Kestin scored 38 and Romesh Bharrat made 37, none of the Berbicians were able to convert their good starts into a big score.
Pacer Shane Prince, Alex Datterdeen and Nityanana Mathura took two wickets each for the home team.

Wilson’s onslaught yesterday followed up scores of 50 against the GCB’s X1 and 34 against Essequibo to finish second to Van Lange in the run aggregate, with 168 runs and yesterday’s effort earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.
Mathura, who ended yesterday’s contest with a cover boundary, was the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with seven wickets.
In addition to exploits with the bat for Demerara, Wilson had six dismissals behind the stumps to take the award for most catches by a keeper.
The 16-year-old Van Lange, also a senior national table tennis player, scored the only century in the tournament (158) and took three wickets with his medium pace to take the awards for most runs, highest score and Most Valuable Player of the Tournament.