Essequibo wins the opening game against Berbice and Demerara combined

By Sean Devers in Essequibo
RAIN eventually spoiled the carnival-like party at the impressive Anna Regina Stadium on the Essequibo Coast on Friday night after the home side had beaten a Berbice and Demera combined team in front of a capacity crowd.

Hotels in and around the bustling township of Anna Regina were fully booked as a drove of fans from as far a Georgetown and the Pomeroon arrived by the boatloads in anticipation of witnessing cricketing icons Trinidadian Brian Lara and Guyana’s own Shiv Chanderpaul roll back the years with the bat.
Watched by the biggest crowd to turn out for a cricket match in Guyana’s largest county which included almost the entire government Cabinet, the atmosphere was fantastic.
After an afternoon of glorious sunshine, heavy and continuous rain arrived just before 10 PM, resulting in the proceeding final being called off just before midnight to the disappointment of the crowd which produced a kaleidoscope of colour at the facility similar in quality to the Providence Stadium.
Despite the adverse weather causing the official opening ceremony with the cultural performance, fireworks and military display and feature game being called off, the raucous, partisan crowd waved Guyana flags and danced in the stands to the pulsating music from the massive speakers around the large ground during the first match.
Skipper of the Berbice and Demerara combined team Devon Lord won the toss and invited Essequibo to bat on an excellent track and lush green and fast-drying outfield.
West Indies U-19 player Johnathan Van Lange captured the first wicket at the new Stadium when he removed Kevin Boodie at 7-1 in the second over of the T10 game.
West Indies T20 World Cup selectee Quinten Sampson and Canadian International Dillon Heyliger added 52 for the second wicket in three overs before Sampson departed at 59-2.
Sampson, a pugnacious right-hander who played in the GSL and CPL was brutal, clobbering 42 from just 12 balls with two fours and five disdainful sixes to the delight of home fans,
Heyliger departed at 96-3 in 6.1 overs before Richard
Adams smashed four fours and three sixes in his 21-ball 43 before he fell at 118-4, while former West Indies U-19 player Mahendra Dindyal departed at 134-5 in the final
over as Essequibo reached 143-5.
Van Lange had 2-27 while skipper Devon Lord, West Indies off-spinner Kevin Sinclair and West Indies players Kevlon Anderson took a wicket each for the visitors who were restricted to 115-6 in their 10 overs.
Sinclair and Anthony Bramble added 22 for the first wicket before Bramble, who hit two fours and six in 17, hit a catch to Dindyal as Ricardo Adams struck in the third over.
Left-arm Spinner Antony Adams bowled Ushardeva Balgobin for a duck before Antony Adams dismissed Akasya Persaud (2), while Sinclair was removed by Heyliger for 32 from 16 balls with three fours and a six.

Barrington, who hit a six in 15 was sent packing by pacer Ronsford Beaton, one of only three Essequibo players who played international cricket for the West Indies after Ivor Mendonca and Kemo Paul.
Van Lange struck three sixes in 20 from seven balls before he was caught and bowled by Myheim Khan who held a well judged ‘skier’ leaving Anderson unbeaten on
18 with six and a four when overs expired.
Antony Adams took 2-5 to the delight of the Essequibo fans who were excited when shown on a massive replay screen which served as the electronic scoreboard.