Looknauth’s fifty, Ali Mohamed’s 4-29 & Imlach’s glovework spur Demerara to title

Watched by a raucous crowd at Bourda, Demerara beat a star-studded Berbice line-up yesterday in another low-scoring encounter to regain the GCB 50-over Senior Inter-County title with a 63-run victory over the defending champions.

This tournament was used to select the Guyana team for the Regional Super50 which is scheduled to commence in Trinidad on October 16 and will hope to win its first 50-over title since beating Barbados at Bourda in 2005.

On a day of scorching heat, Demerara, led by an unbeaten 52 from Ritchie Looknauth (five fours and two sixes) and 39 from skipper Tevin Imlach, who reached the boundary five times, were bowled out for 194 in 39.5 overs.

The only other batsmen to reach 20 were Chanderpaul Hemraj, who had three fours and two sixes in 29 and Sherfane Rutherford who made 21 with three fours.
Off-spinner Kevin Sinclair, who had the best bowling figures in the tournament when he captured a career-best 7-15 against Demerara at Blairmont, took 4-31 to move to 13 wickets while Romario Shepherd supported with 2-18.

Berbice, who played unbeaten up to yesterday’s grand finale, were bowled out for 131 in 28.3 overs.
Kevlon Anderson followed up his fifty in the previous game with a composed 40 from 52 balls with three fours, but, like most of the other batters, threw away his wicket when he failed to control a ‘cut-shot’ and sliced a ball that bounced from Rutherford (2-36) to point.

Shimron Hetmyer hit five fours in a 23-ball 25 before failing once again to convert his ‘starts’ into fifties as he edged Man-of-the-Match Renaldo Ali Mohamed (4-29) to wicket-keeper Imlach, who set a new inter-county 50-overs record of six dismissals including five catches.

Sinclair, again used by Berbice to open the batting, was the only other batter to reach double figures with 10 on a track with good pace and carry and a lightning-fast outfield.
Berbice lost Nigel Deodat (7) and Sinclair (10) to catches by Imlach, leaving them on 20-2 in the third over while Shimron Hetmyer’s demise, at 50-3 had them on the ropes.

Clinton Pestano (6) was taken by the impressive Imlach off leg-spinner Steven Sankar at 79-4 while Seon Hetmyer and Shepherd posted the 100 before the former fell to Rutherford for eight at 107-5.

Shepherd (4) hooked a bouncer from Ali Mohamed to deep square leg and at 112-6, the fat lady was clearing her lungs.
Anderson was Berbice’s last hope as he and Gudakesh Motie, who has a first-class ton, joined forces but after Anderson gifted his wicket, the remaining four wickets catapulted for 16 runs.
Earlier, Demerara were invited to bat in streaming heat, Test batter Tagenarine Chanderpaul (5) gloved a quick short ball from the lively Nial Smith to the keeper at 5-1 before Shepherd uprooted the off-stump of Mahendra Dindyal (2) at 28-2.

Shepherd also removed Hemraj who again failed to convert a promising start into something substantial when he fell for 29 with three-fours and two sixes with Demerara on 38-3.
However, on the fast and mostly parched outfield, Akshaya Persaud joined Imlach, who square-drove a half-volley for four and when Pestano bowled short hooked disdainfully behind square for consecutive boundaries as the 50 was posted in the 11th over.

The partnership flourished with the elegant Persaud cover driving Shamar Joseph, who again bowled with pace, for a glorious boundary while Imlach cut and drove well as the pair staged a recovery before Sinclair bowled Persaud (19) at 89-4.

He then produced a perfect arm-ball to induce the well-set Imlach to edge a catch to slip at 112-5.

The 23-year-old Sinclair, who has 11 wickets from seven ODIs for the West Indies, bowled Rutherford and Bernard Bailey (3) as the home team slumped 148-1.
This was after Ali Mohamed wandered out of his crease and was run out for a duck as he showed very little match awareness.

Demerara’s 150 was posted in the 34th over while Looknauth, who has looked good during this tournament, played some handsome shots but soon lost Sankar (4) who fell to Joseph at 167-9.
Watched by a large and colourful crowd which included a sizable contingent of Berbicians and GCB president, Bissoon Singh, Looknauth reached his 50 from 51 balls with seven fours and three sixes and took the score to 194 when Quinton Torrington, who faced 16 balls for his two runs, was bowled by Gudakesh Motie.