The Georgetown Zone of the inaugural Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) 50-overs U-23 knock-out cricket tournament run by the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) got off to an inauspicious start with only one umpire officiating at matches and no ‘30-yards’ marking at two of three grounds while Transport Sport Club gained a walk-over from the GDF.
Although Queen’s College batter, Tuen Hicks, scored a magnificent 101 and DCC’s Jaydon Dowlin made a sensible unbeaten 53, they were the only batters to 50.
National U-19 batter Sachin Singh, the biggest name in the GT zone, was looking good when he was bowled for 33.

Home team Everest were blown away for a disappointing 62 while the once powerful GCC were dismantled for 49 on a day of substandard batting by the big-name clubs.
At the QC ground, the home team registered the biggest total of the day when they amassed 287 all out in 45 overs against Agricola with Hicks leading the way with 101 from 106 decorated with 18 boundaries before he was bowled Joel Gilkes.

The 22-year-old was supported by Kevin Williams, who reached the boundary four times and cleared it once in his 36 and a blistering cameo from Nini Persaud who clobbered three fours and two sixes in 27 from 11 balls.

Lakram Ramolar (19) and Elnathan Sukhnandan (17) also contributed with the bat in steaming conditions on a good track and fairly fast outfield.
Gilkes had 4-47 and Andel Manoharlal 2-18.

Agricola were dismissed for 131 in 21.2 to lose by 156 runs despite Gilkes returning with the bat to hit an unbeaten 29.
Apart from Gilkes, only Manoharlal with 20 and Julian DeAbreu 17, reached double figures. Daniel Persaud had 4-26 and Kampta Seepersaud took 2-3.
At Malteenoes, the clash between arch rivals DCC and GCC ended in an emphatic 181 win for the Queenstown side after they made 230-7 and bowled out GCC for 49.
DCC opted to bat on a track which generally kept low and led by a carefully crafted 68-run opening stand between the left handed pair of Brandon Jaikarran, who hit three fours in 37 from 80 balls and Singh, who was a part of national senior trials games.

Singh, looking set on 33 with three fours and six, lofted leg-spinner Natram Persaud for four over long-on to post the 50 but after being beaten with the googley several times, Singh played back to one that kept low from pacer Revaldo Phillips and was bowled.

Jaden Campbell (2) was bowled by Persaud who also removed Inderjeet Nanan for 24 but Jaydon Dowlin and Daniel Mootoo shared in a 74-run stand as they steadied the ship.
Dowlin, who favoured the front foot square-drive, finished unbeaten on 53 from 60 balls with four fours while Mootoo made 31 from 45 balls with a couple of boundaries.
GCC’s only brief resistance came from Josh Charles who made 13 as Kaveem Whitney took 4-20 while Wavell Allen had 3-1

At Everest, no batter offered resistance in their paltry 62 in 24.2 overs as Dwayne Dick, Marvin Permaul, Akeem Critchlow and Andy Ragoolin took two wickets each for MYO who reached 64-3 in 16.2 overs.

Critchlow 16, Dick 14 and Guyana U-17 batter Dwayne Bollers, 14 not out, saw MYO with a few players from Malteenoes, including two females in National youth players, Talia Madramootoo and Naioem Barkoye, advance. Ariel Tilku had 3-22.

The other game scheduled for QC number 2 ground saw Transport gaining a walk-over from GDF.