Upper Demerara and West Demerara register wins

AN important 16-run last wicket partnership between the level headed Tyriq Walters (12) and Andy Ramgolam (3) helped Upper Demerara snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against host East Coast at the Lusignan ground yesterday in the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) sponsored DCB U19 Inter-Association Super50 Tournament.

In the low scoring contest played in fluctuating weather conditions, Upper Corentyne made a ‘meal’ of the paltry target before struggling to 67-9 in 26.1 overs to secure a one-wicket win as Skipper Shilo Adams top scored with 16.

Earlier, only Nicolas Seepersaud (17) reached double figures as East Coast were bundled for 66 in 30.4 overs on a damp track. Renaldo Greenville who captured 4-11, Stephon Sanker had 3-6 and fast bowler Walters 2-17, did the damage for Upper Demerara who had no players from that sub-Association.

When rain stopped play, East Coast were 65-9 and an early Lunch was taken and when the rain subsided and played resumed home were quickly dismissed.

When Upper Demerara began their reply Gabriel Rookhum (6) was removed by Seenarine Haricharran who then bowled.

Jeremiah Hohenkirk (4); looking to drive, to leave his team, comprising the #39; Standbys ' from the other four sub-Associations, on 11-2.

Alex Daterdeen sent back Rishi Seodat (5) and Joshua Persaud, for a first ball duck at 31-4.

Neeran Bani trapped Greenville (0) a run later before rain again stopped play at 3:02pm with the score on 39-5 in 13.4 with Adams on 16.

When Adams, arguable the team’s most accomplished batter, played a half-hearted pull to a long-hop from left-arm spinner Nirvana Bani and lobbed a simple catch to short backward square off the second ball after the resumption, his team was wobbling on the ropes on 39-6.

Bani, who captured 4-26 in the truncated game which was reduced to 42 overs per side, got support from Daterdeen (3-15) as they reduced the visitors to 52-9.

The handful of East Coast fans who were present on a working were already celebrating an expected victory.

But the towering Walters, a budding Sports Journalist at NCN TV, joined Ramgolam when Andy Sookdeo (7) was caught off Daterdeen.

The pair, with Walters taking most of strike, inched towards the victory target with intelligent batting.

Walters broke the shackles with boundary over extra cover off Bani and got a single next ball to reduce the target to two.

Arun Gainda, the tournament leading wicket-taker with eight scalps from his two matches including one of only two five-wicket hauls, was surprisingly not used until the 24th over with seven runs to win.

In the other rain affected game at Farm on the East Bank, West Demerara beat East Bank after being bowled out for 136 as the openers Parmeshwar Ram (33) and R Reene (16) added 34 for the first wicket.

But Sachin Balgobin with 24 was only other batter to reach double figures Krsna Singh had 4-15 and got support from Zauld Mohammed who took 3-24.

East Bank were then dismissed for 126 as no batter reached 25 as L. Ramond had two wickets.

The next round is scheduled for Sunday.