AFTER beating Essequibo on Friday at Malteenoes, defending champions Berbice defeated the Select X1 by nine wickets at Meten-Meer-Zorg in West Coast Demerara as the GCB’s male 50-over U-19 inter-county tournament continued yesterday.

Over at Malteenoes, Demerara won by 48 runs against Essequibo as action in the second round of took place.
On the West Side, Berbice, led by scintillating half-centuries from siblings Rampertab Ramnauth and Rampersaud Ramnauth, galloped to 141 without loss in 23 overs replying to 140 all out made by the Select X1.

The Select X1 elected to bat on another hot day and Avishkar Persaud (1) was bowled by Okasie Boyce at 16-1.
Ari Afrizel Kadir joined Deonarine Dindyal and together they took the score to 72 with attractive stroke-play on the fast outfield and flat track.

But once Dindyal – who dominated the partnership with a 62-ball 52 with 10 boundaries was bowled by Afraz Budhoo – the Select X1 slumped to 117-9.
After Kadir was lbw to Budhoo for 26 with three fours and a six at 98-4, the select X1 lost their next six wickets for 19 runs before the last pair took them to 140.

Number 10 batter Andres Fraser hit a six and a four in a cameo 15 from 16 balls while last man Natron Gill finished unbeaten on six, clearing the boundary on his only scoring shot.
But when the Select X1 had their sights on 150, off-spinner Amir Khan who had a three-wicket haul on Friday, bowled Fraser to finish with 3-31.

Kumar Deopersaud had 3-28 while Afraz Budhoo took 2-21.
It took Berbice 92 minutes to formalise the with Rampertab making an entertaining 77 from just 73 with six fours and six sixes.
His younger brother Rampersaud played the supporting role scoring 51 from 68 balls with seven boundaries and the pair will hope to join the Etwaroo brothers; Tyrone and Romain who opened for Berbice at the senior inter-county level.

Over at Malteenoes, an aggressive 73 from Thaddeus Lovel could not prevent the home side from beating a vastly improved Essequibo unit by 58 runs.
Demerara opted to bat on a track which offered the pacers some bounce and the spinners prodigious turn and were dismissed for 224 in 45.4 overs before bowling Essequibo for 166 in 35.2 overs.

With a lively four-pronged pace attack comprising Bruce Vincent, Josh Charles Darwin Joseph and fast bowling all-rounder Thaddeus Lovell, Essequibo has arguably the best pace attack among the participating four teams.
Vincent struck at 13-1 when he removed the inform Romeo Deonarine for nine.

Sachin Balgobin and Skipper and West Indies U-19 player Mavindra Dindyal steadied the ship by taking the score to 53 before Dindyal who made 28 with five boundaries, was caught behind off Joseph.
Joseph would return to account for Balgobin in similar fashion after the former had scored 17 with a couple of fours to leave the score on 84-3.

Alvin Mohabir and the pugnacious Johanthan Van Lange added 44 for the fourth wicket before Mohabir (26) fell to Shaaziff Mohamed.
Zakery Jodah looked in fine form with his 40 (six fours), before Shahid Vieira held his third catch behind the wicket as off-spinner Mahem Khan induced him drive at flighted delivery.

Van Lange who shared in 52-run stand with Jodah, tried to hit Golcharran Chulai against the breeze and was taken at long-off for a run-a-ball 29 with a four and a six.
A quick 17 from Krsna Singh and 31 extras helped Demerara past 200.

Chulai (3-34), and Khan and Joseph with two wickets each were also among the wickets for Essequibo who lost their second match despite an attacking 73 from Lovell from just 59 balls with eight fours and three sixes.
Extras contributed 34 as no other batter reached 16.
Leg-spinner Riyad Latiff 3-38 and off-spinner Singh 3-19 spun webs around the batters while the multi-talented Van Lange had 2-40.
The next round is set for tomorrow.