By Clifton Ross

A RUTHLESS spin attack coupled with some power-hitting saw defending champions Essequibo run roughshod over Upper Corentyne yesterday in the 2019 SBF/CGI Jaguars one-day League, hammering them by 115 runs to continue their undefeated streak.
All-rounder Ricardo Adams made amends for his failure in the opener as he cracked three big sixes and five fours in his top innings of 54.

The mighty Quintin Sampson also continued his feats of power-hitting as he blasted a quick-fire 45 down the order to help Essequibo reach 235-9 in 50 overs.

Upper Corentyne did well to take 9 wickets, almost bowling out the defending champions as spinner Gauran Ramesh bagged 3 wickets while seamer Sylus Tyndall and Demitir Cameron snapped up two scalps apiece.

The chase proved to be too much in the end for the Berbice franchise, who plummeted for 120 all out in the 47th over. It was a ruthless pack hunt for the Essequibo bowlers, led mainly by the spinners in Ricardo who returned to be a wizard with his 3 wickets.
Akinie was lethal, following up his 2 wickets from game one with another amazing spell of spin, returning 3-21 from 10 while his brother and captain Anthony ended with good figures of 1-21.

Johnathan Rampersaud (33) and skipper Shawn Perreira (30) were the lone, significant contributors who found it difficult to cope with the star-studded bowling attack.
Not to be undone by the spinners, pacer Ronsford Beaton (2-19) followed up his 5-for with another brutal spell as he continued to find his rhythm, snaring the wicket of opener Alex Algoo, the top-scorer in the last match, for duck.

The spin-fest began soon after as the entire top order crumbled to 60 for 6 at one point. So much was the hostility that both Perreira and Rampersaud only managed to hit three fours between them and once they fell to the Adams’ magic, Upper Corentyne crumbled.
When the captain knocked over Cameron with a beauty, Ricardo wrapped up an MVP performance with the final nail on the coffin to seal an emphatic victory for their side.

Earlier, Essequibo openers Kevon Boodie (17) and Parmesh Parsotam (13) added 34 after the former hit three fours while Parsotam continued to find form with two boundaries.
Sylus Tyndall (2-33) and spinner Eon Hooper (1-25) did well to remove the openers but in-form batsman Kemol Savory (34) and Adams then systematically chipped away at the bowling during their half-century stand.

Adams was his usual aggressive self. When he brought up his fifty, the team were still decently placed at 150 for three with roughly 15 overs in the bank. Ramesh’s spin proved to be the equaliser as he removed the half-centurion and Mark Williams (4) in quick succession.

Just when Upper Corentyne seemed to pull things back, three fours and two big sixes (one of which hit a car parked on the street from the bat of Sampson), turned things around.
Sampson’s cameo was the ideal spark needed at the back end of the innings. A solid 18 from the skipper earlier on before he departed and 16 not out from Jones were enough to take the champs to a winning total.