Berbice register comprehensive win in opening round

2020 GCB U-17 Inter-county tournament…

ꟷ Yearwood fifty saves Demerara

Story and Photos By Brandon Corlette
Led by half-centuries from the bats of player of the match Mahendra Gopillal and capatin Zeynul Ramsammy, Berbice eased to a 136-run win against Essequibo in the first round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) U-17 Inter-county.

In the match played at Enmore Community Centre Ground, Berbice bowlers rocked Essequibo for 67 all out after posting 203 all out.
Earlier, Essequibo won the toss and elected to bowl first under glorious sunshine. Berbice openers Gopilall and Hemchand Gurdyal added 52 runs together for the opening partnership. The lad from Albion, Gurdyal made 20 from 38 balls which included two fours. Ramsammy, batting at number three, partnered Gopilall and the dynamic duo added 83 runs for the second wicket.

Gopilall who rode his luck, batting for 125 minutes, ended his 99-ball innings of 58 which included a lone boundary that opened his account.
The top order had set the foundation; in the 35th over as the boys from the ancient county were 135-2. Jonathan Rampersaud was caught trying to pull one out of the ground, found the fielder and was caught for six.
Berbice then lost some quick wickets in the middle period; Mahendra Ramcharitar (01), Leon Cecil (07) and Devon Sobhai (00) fell cheaply. Tucber Park wicket-keeper batsman partnered his capatin and club mate at 155-6 in the 40th over. Ramsammy, who was supported by his family, looked mature in his approach and rotated the strike with ease. He reached his fifty in the process but the next ball he gifted his wicket away, hitting one down long-off’s throat.

Ramsammy, a former Guyana U-15 captain, scored his even 50 off 97 balls, batting for 118 minutes. After Ramsammy’s departure at 170-7, Caesar was the man to push Berbice past that 200-run mark on the fairly large outfield.
Caesar made a shot-filled 28 which included the lone six of the innings and one four in the same mid-wicket region. His blitz concluded when he was brilliantly caught in the deep.
Eventually, Berbice’s 50 overs expired and they were bowled out for 203. The final wicket fell in unusual fashion; during the bowlers follow through the non-stirker, Jeremy Sandia was short of his ground and was ‘mankaded’. Jared Allicock took 2-35 in 10 overs while Aryan Persaud had 2-38 and Ryan Atkinson claimed 2-39.
In response, Essequibo batsmen did not dig deep, the Berbice bowlers proved a hand-full. Christopher Deeroop bowled some testing line and lengths with his right arm medium while Rampersaud was at his brilliant best, as the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club duo shared six wickets between themselves. Rampersaud bagged 3-6 in 4.4 overs while Deeroop finished with 3-9 in five overs. West Indies U-16 pacer Isai Thorne had 2-16 in his early five over burst.
Quincy Sampson made a top-score of 19 in a poor batting display which saw Essequibo bundled out for 67 in 22.4 overs.
Meanwhile, in the other match at Everest, Guyana Select U-15 posted 112 all out in 45.2 overs. Rampertab Ramnauth top-scored with 18 while Chandrapaul Ramraj was the best bowler with 3-15 while Zachary Jodah had 3-12.
In reply, Demerara were in deep trouble; Jadon Campbell (09), Anthony Khan (00), Nicholas Rajpat (00), Mavindra Dindyal (12) and Rudranauth Daterdeen (00) were all sent back cheaply.
However, Shamar Yearwood, made a match-winning unbeaten 54 from 70 balls which included four sixes and the same number of fours.
Josh Alves had 2-21 in five overs while Matthew Pottaya had 2-30 in eight overs. The second round will bowl off on Thursday with Berbice facing Demerara at Everest while the Select U-15 will meet Essequibo at GCC Bourda.