– Chanderpaul’s ton among day’s highlight

On a day blessed with glorious sunshine, Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s pedestrian paced unbeaten 103 and Ricardo Adams’ 5-25 were some of the the standout performances of Round One of the Guyana Cricket Board Inter-County Super 50 tournament.
Chanderpaul, joined by an Entertaining knock of 79 rallied defending champion Demerara to a 103-run victory over the select X1 at Bourda while at Pomona in Essequibo, Ricardo Adams’ 5-25 and 60 along with 60 from Skipper Anthony Adams powered the host to a four-wicket win against Berbice.

At Bourda, Demerara opted to bat on one the better pitches in Guyana and lost Raymond Pereez to the first ball of the match when he cut pacer Demetri Cameron to point.
National Captain Teven Imlach (29) and the 29-year-old Chanderpaul carried score to 62 before Imlach fell to Aryan Persaud in 22nd over after facing 73 balls in his cautious innings.
Sachin Singh (5) hit Johnaton Rampersaud to cover at 73-3 before the 27-year-old Persaud played some enterprising shots as the pair began ‘operation rebuild’ on fast outfield.
Chanderpaul who has three fifties from 24 list ‘A’ games, reached a painstaking 50 from 96 balls with three fours in the 32nd over.

The flamboyant Persaud who has scored two half-centuries from 15 List ‘A’ games, soon reached his fifty from 36 balls decorated with four fours and three sixes as the partnership reached 126.
But just when Persaud was looking set for a ton he pulled a short ball from Jonathon Van Lange to deep backward square after reaching the ropes four times and clearing it on six occasions.
Shamar Yearwood (16) was the only batter to provide support to Chanderpaul, who made the most of a couple of chances to ‘carry his bat’ to end unbeaten on 103 from 139 balls with six boundaries as Demerara reached 258-9.

Carlos LaRose (4-41) and Van Lange (2-15) conspired to keep the Demerara batters on a tight leash.
When the Select X1 began their reply in sweltering heat, Ushardeva Balgobin got going with a couple of majestic consecutive boundaries of left-arm pacer Chris Harry.
Brandon Jaikarran punched Renaldo Ali-Mohammed disdainfully for four resulting in pacer bowling a well-aimed bouncer which sent the batter flat on his back next ball as he took evasive action.

But with the score 46 in the 10th over Balgobin who hit four fours in an attractive 27 and Shamar Angel (0) were both removed in the first over from left-arm spinner Devon Lorde.
Van Lange (2) fell to off-spinner Ritche Looknauth after Jaikarran retired with cramps with the score on 63-3.
Jerimiah Scott (4) also fell to Looknauth and when Lorde removed LaRose (2) at 71-5 Jaikarran returned, adding just three to his score.
He soon departed for 26 at 125-7 before Kwesi Mickle who finished not out on 50 from 56 balls with three fours and a six, added 50 with Rampersaud (25) but their stand was too little late as the Select X1 were dismissed for 155 in 43 overs.

Over on the Essequibo Coast, Berbice were restricted to 203-8 as Kevin Sinclair (39), Rampertab Ramnauth (38) and Veerasammy Permaul (30) offered some fight.
Ricardo Adams (5-25) and Ronsford Beaton (2-41) did the damage for Essequibo who reached 204-6 in 34.3 overs.
Led by a pair of 60’s from the unrelated Adam’s (Ricardo & Anthony) and 34 from Kemol Savory Essequibo comfortably got over the line.
Clinton Pestano had 3-29 in a losing cause.
Tomorrow at Bourda Berbice face Demerara while the Select X1 battles Essequibo at Lusignan. Both games are scheduled to commence at 09:30hrs.