The left-handed Shamar Apple scored an enterprising 83 to power Demerara to an emphatic 177-run victory over the Select X1 in the GCB U-17 Inter-County 50-over tournament opening round at the Transport Sports Club ground yesterday.
The pugnacious 15-year-old Apple clouted eight sixes and four fours to continue his sublime form from the GCA Inter-Association U-17 Competition.
Apple got support from Emmanuel Lewis, who scored 42 off 44 balls with six well-struck boundaries.

Dave Mohabir (32) and Parmeshwar Ram (31) also contributed with the bat in overcast conditions on a good track as the home team reached 298-8 from 49.1 overs.
Fast bowler Shane Prince picked up 3-60 off 8.3 overs while Dennis Crossman took 2-54 and Arun Gainda had 2-56 for the Select X1 who were bowled out for 121 in 25.4 overs.
Pacers Ram and Patrice Fraser, both from Meter-Meer-Zorg on the West Demerara, bowled with good vigor and soon reduced the Select X1 to 30-4.
Thiery Henry went on the back foot to a good length delivery from Ram and was trapped LBW for a duck at 6-1 while Fraser struck at 13-2.

Berbice and National U-15 captain Richard Ramdeholl got going with a glorious cover drive off Ram, which reached the boundary like a bullet, but he was soon bowled for 13 from 20 balls with three fours.
Nataniel Ramsammy (7) edged Fraser to Apple behind the wicket and the Select X1 had slipped to 30-4.

Gibran Yacoob counter-attacked the bowling and was not afraid to go over the top, and along with Arif Bacchus, saw the 50 posted.
Bacchus, shaken up by a nasty bouncer from Fraser, was later beaten for ‘lack of pace on the ball’ and was adjudged LBW to swing bowler Jonathan Mentore at 51-5.
Yacoob continued to bat positively but lost Arun Gainda and Munish Kalpoo for ducks in the space of a run to leave the score on 56-7.

Yacoob added 23 with Jumal Ramlall (7) for the eight wicket, but when Ramlall was removed by spinner Munish Outar at 79-8, Yacoob fell shortly after for 44 from 58 balls with five fours and six.
Mentore (2-8), Ram (2-17), Fraser (2-19) and Outar (2-33) were the leading wicket-takers, with Mohabir and Danesh Persaud getting one each.
At the LBI ground on the East Coast, Berbice beat Essequibo by 23 runs.

Romario Ramdeholl (50), Gavin Kirsten (27), Vishal Williams (24) and Adrian Hetmyer (22) saw Berbice to 192 all out in 38.3 overs.
Eon Benjamin took 3-24, Shazim Mohammed had 2-20 and Jathneil Nurse got 2-24 for Essequibo, who fell for 169 in 41.3 overs.

Ravesh Singh 36, Benjamin 33 and Navindra Sankar 30 got to 30 as Micah Amsterdam (4-38) and Feaz Baksh (4-38) did the damage with the ball.
The tournament continues today with Demerara facing Essequibo at LBI and the Select X1 opposing Berbice at Transport.