LED by some mesmerising bowling from left-arm orthodox spinner Keanu Harry, the perennial whipping boys in local cricket – Essequibo – fought gallantly with Demerara on the opening day of their Raj Singh Insurance/Guyana Cricket Board Under-19 Inter-county three-day fixture yesterday.Playing at the Everest Cricket Club ground, the visitors won the toss, chose to bowl first in sunny conditions and reduced their hosts to 261 all out. Tevin Imloch 51 and Malcolm Hubbard 50 led the way with the bat, while Harry took 7 for 66 and Loaknauth Chinkoo 2 for 53.

Earlier, Imloch and Ronaldo Renee 29 (117 mins, 98 balls, 3×4), added 78 for the first wicket, with both batsmen scoring boundaries off the new-ball pair of Jewmal Hartman and Leyland Cadogan, before Renee was brilliantly caught by Parmesh Parsotam at extra cover off Chinkoo three minutes before lunch.
The home team took the break on 82 for 1, with Imloch on 36 and Sherfane Rutherford 4. After the break, they were forced to endure seven successive maiden overs from Chinkoo who operated from the Atlantic Ocean End, while Harry kept things under control at the other end.
Harry took his first victim in Rutherford who never suggested permanence, when he went back to an arm ball and was bowled for 16 at 103 for 2, following which Imloch got his 50 from 140 balls faced, batting for 158 minutes with six fours. Demerara were 110 for 2.
That became 114 for 4, following the demise of both Imloch 51 (146 balls, 165 mins; 6×4) and skipper Travis Persaud (1) via lbw to Harry, allowing Hubbard and Akshaya Persaud to add 66 for the fifth wicket, taking Demerara to tea on 178 for 4, with Hubbard on 35 and Akshaya Persaud 27.
On resumption of play and with just two runs added, Akshaya Persaud was lbw to Harry without any addition to his teatime score and even though Hubbard got his 50 from 82 balls while batting for 77 minutes with nine fours, he too was sent back by Harry in his next over at 195 for 5.
The home team’s lower-order batsmen struggled to come to grips with Harry on a turning Camp Road track, the result being Demerara 224 for 9 within the last hour of play, before Vivian Albert and Carlton Jacques brought some respectability to the total with their 37-run 10th wicket partnership.
It ended when Jacques, who struck one four in his 20 (35 balls), pushed tamely at a delivery from Adams (1 for 50) and picked out Harry at short extra cover, leaving Albert unbeaten on 35 (88 mins, 85 balls, 3×4), 20 minutes before the scheduled close of play.
Asked to bat two overs before the close, Essequibo reached 1 without loss, with both of their openers Satesh Latchman and Nathan Persaud yet to score, while play on the second day today will resume at 09:30hrs.
Across at the Wales Community Centre ground, the Ronaldo Ali-Mohammed led National Under-17 team were bowled out for a meagre 94 against Berbice, with Kevin Sinclair 30 (3×4) and Richie Looknauth 27 (4×4) leading their batting.
However, the national youths who are currently preparing for the Regional Under-17 tournament in Trinidad and Tobago, responded, reducing their opponents to 34 for 2 at tea and later 136 for 6 at the close, a lead of 42 with four wickets in hand.

By Calvin Roberts