IN scorching heat yesterday, Demerara cruised to their second consecutive win of the GCB’s senior Inter-County Super50 cricket tournament when they defeated Berbice by seven wickets at the GCC ground to advance to Saturday’s final.
Berbice opted to bat on another excellent pitch and with cotton- like clouds floating lazily over the historic Bourda sward, they failed to capitalise on good batting conditions and were dismissed for 129 in 40 overs.

Junior Sinclair, who managed six fours in a top score of 37, an unbeaten 24 with a solitary six from Tomani Ceaser and 16 from Clinton Pestano were the only batters to reach 15 in a careless batting performance by the Berbicians who were without Hetmyer, Motie, Shepherd and Shamar Joseph.
Left-arm spinner Devon Lord followed up 3-21 in the opening round with 4-28 and got support from Bernard Bailey and Renaldo Ail-Mohammed who bagged two wickets each.

A second unbeaten innings from Test batter Tagenarine Chanderpaul who demonstrated refreshing positivity during his undefeated 63 from 70 balls with five fours and two sixes.
The 28-year-old Chanderpaul shared in a century third-wicket partnership with fellow left-hander Matthew Nandu, who made 44 from 51 balls with five fours and two sixes.

On Sunday, Chanderpaul batted from start to finish to compile his second ton in a 50-over inter-county game; a painstaking 103 after scoring his first against Essequibo in 2012 as a 15-year-old.
But yesterday, the eldest son of the illustrious Shiv Chanderpaul, played with the freedom and fluency his fans had not seen ina long time.

After losing Raymond Pereez (0), who played no shot to a ball outside off stump and was lbw to Junior Sinclair, without a run on the board, Skipper Tevin Imlach (3) seemed a bit unlucky to be given lbw to Pestano at 4-2.
Nandu, who did not play a single game for the Warriors in this year’s CPL, joined Chanderpaul who stroked Kevin Sinclair for a six and four in the seventh over which cost 13 before viciously pulling Pestano for a couple of fours in the next over.

The 50 was posted in the 11th over while the 50-run partnership came up in the 12th with Chanderpaul scoring 31 of those runs while Nandu contributed 12.
Chanderpaul reached his 50 with a six off Pestano. It took just 54 balls and included four fours and a pair of sixes.
Nandu ‘upped’ the tempo and danced into West Indies off-spinner Kevin Sinclair who bowled too fast and flat, and in turn was dumped onto the roof of the GCB.

Nandu’s six brought up the 100 stand in the 22nd over.

The only flaw in the partnership was the lack of commuinication between the two and indecisive running between the wickets.
Nandu, trying to hit spinner Nigel Deodat for a six to reach his 50, was taken in the deep with victory 10 runs away. Akshaya Persaud who made 79 in the first game was on seven when the match ended.

Earlier, Ali-Mohammed induced Rampertab Ramnauth (0) to edge to the ‘keeper’ at 4-1 as Imlach took the first of his four catches behind the stumps.
Bailey removed Kevin Sinclair (3) and Kevlon Anderson (2) to place Berbice on 16-3.

A 35-run stand between Jonathon Foo (3) and Junior Sinclair steadied the rocking ship but once Foo was caught behind off Ali-Mohammed at 51-4 and Lord bowled Junior Sinclair at 63-5, it was going to be a hard task for the Berbicians who have not played first-division cricket since 2018.
Lord befuddled Zeynul Ramsammy (13) and Veerasammy Permaul (0), while Persaud ended the innings when he bowled Isaiah Thorne.

At Lusignan, Essequibo were dismissed for 169 in 45.2 overs with Kemol Savory leading the way with 51 while Kevin Boodie (26), Ricardo Adams (24), Ricardo Peters (17) and Anthony Adams (17) reaching 15.
Golcharran Chulai had 3-45 while Johnaton Rampersaud, Aryan Persaud and Kwesi Mickle took two wickets each.

The select X1 reached 171-6 in 45 overs with Rampersaud making 32 with two fours and a six, Carlos LaRose 28 with five boundaries and Navindra Persaud contributing 26.
The action continues tomorrow with Demerara playing Essequibo at Bourda and Berbice opposing the Select X1 at Lusignan. Both games are scheduled to commence at 09:30hrs.