UNBEATEN Berbice will face off with Demerara today in the final of the Guyana Cricket Board U-15 Inter-County 50-over tournament at LBI.
Berbice, led by their trio of destruction, Richard Ramdeholl, Arif Bacchus and Rafael McKenzie, defeated the Select X1 at Lusignan while an impressive all-round performance from Man-of-the-Match Shahid Ramzan was in vain as Essequibo, led by 41 from Usain Fredericks, beat defending champions Demerara at the LBI ground.
Both matches were played on Wednesday.

Despite their loss, Demerara has a superior net run rate to the other teams and a win today against Berbice will see them successfully defending their title while Berbice will hope to win the title as the only unbeaten side.

In the previous match at LBI, where the Umpires lacked total control of the game, an unfinished 41-run ninth-wicket partnership between Usain Fredericks (41) and Eshwar Tilak (12) aided by 47 extras including 40 wides and poor fielding and tactics from Demerara produced a nail-biting two-wicket win for Essequibo.
Led by a 39-run stand between Lomar Seecharran (31 from 61 balls) and Khush Seegobin (13) and a couple of useful stands involving the talented left-handed Ramzan who hit five boundaries from 95 balls in a well-constructed 51, Demerara reached 187-7 off 50 overs.

In hot conditions on a slightly uneven but lightening fast outfield, Ramzan added 51 for the fourth wicket with Makai Dowlin (19) and 45 with National U-13 batter Joshua Bollers (15) for the fifth as the home team’s innings never really got into second gear despite a cameo unbeaten 12 from Skipper Brandon Henry.
Bomesh Lall (3-49) and Timothy Barton (2-27) bowled well for Essequibo who got off to a good start.
National U-15 batter Justin Dowlin (24) and Ravid Fredericks (17) added 31 before pacer Prosper Jacobus bowled Fredericks and fast bowler Patrice Fraser dismissed Timothy Ramdat (1) at 50-2.

When ‘leggie’ Bollers bowled Dowlin on a slow track, which offered prodigious turn and bounce for the spinners, Essequibo were 62-3.
Jathneil Nurse hit three fours in his 25 before he was bowled by Ramzan at 94-4 before Darrius Pearson (6) was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Henry four runs later.
Lall and Shazim Mohammed fell to Ramzan; leaving Essequibo in a precarious position at 129-7.
Fredericks and Makaya Holmes took Essequibo to 147 before Holmes hit Seegobin to mid-off to the delight of the large and raucous gathering of Demerara supporters including former West Indies Test player Travis Dowlin.
Henry bowled six wides in a 12-ball over as the host began to unravel while a few clear run-out opportunities were missed and over-throws taken as the frustrating ninth-wicket partnership continued as Essequibo snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

In the other match at Lusignan, Berbice overcame a scare to beat the Select X1 by 17 runs to keep their unbeaten record.
Berbice were dismissed for 116 in 37.4 overs with only Arif Bacchus (20) and Tameshwar Deonanand and Saiad Jumratty with 16, reaching 15.
Fast bowler Jasani Craig had 4-22, left-arm back-of-the-arm wrist spinner Joshua Thomas 4-37 and Brandon Grimmond 2-19 did the damage for the Select X1.
However, the Select X1 were bundled out for 97 in 41.4 overs as only Balraj Narine 44 and Junia Dindyal 20 offered a fight as Richard Ramdeholl 3-5, Arif Bacchus 4-9, and Rafael McKenzie 3-27 orchestrated the Select X1 demise.
Also today at Lusignan, Essequibo also with a win and loss, clashes with cellar dwellers Select X1 who lost both of their matches.
Both matches are scheduled to commence at 09:30 hours.