All-rounder Renaldo Ali-Mohamed stroked a delightful 56-ball 52 not-out to lead his team to a comprehensive six-wicket victory over the National Under-17 team and ensure Demerara retain their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Hand-in-Hand Under-19 50-Over title on Friday at the National Stadium, Providence.
Ali-Mohamed’s match winning innings contained seven fours and two sixes, which helped shepherd his team to the target of 131 after they had slipped to 77 for 4.
The victorious Demerara team with Colin Stuart (second right) TDO of GCB
Ramnarine Chatura was the other unbeaten batsman on 15, as captain and left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd bowled 10 tidy overs to take 2 for 20, while medium-pacer Jevon Schultz started a panic in the Demerara camp with figures of 2-31.
Openers Bhaskar Yadram (19) and Raymond Perez (13) had played all the shots in the book in their brief stay at the crease, but gifted their wickets to leave their team at 38 for 2.
Gavin Boodwah (18) and West Indies Under-19 selectee Joshua Persaud (08) were the other dismissed batsmen in the chase, which lasted all of 32.2 overs.
The Under-17s’ innings had earlier gathered some fluency, but it was short-lived, since in-form opener Alex Algoo made only 14 runs after smashing a six and a four, and Junior Sinclair (08) was back in the hut with the score on 38 in the 11th over.
Dashing left-hander Sachin Singh (24) was beginning to look ominous after striking four boundaries, but he was bowled by leg-spinner Richie Looknauth. Likewise, Kelvon Anderson’s workman-like innings of 38 (4x4s) seemed to give his team a chance at posting a challenging total, but the constant fall of wickets saw them slip to 105 for 6 in the 40th over.
The score soon became 113 for 7, when Yadram had Pradesh Balkishun caught and bowled after the medium pace of Ali-Mohamed had bowled Schultz, to sink the Select Under-17 even further at 120 for 8, before Yadram had Nigel Deodat caught by wicket-keeper Persaud, to wrap up the innings at 130 off 48.4 overs.
Yadram’s medium pace accounted for 4-37 in 9.4 overs; while Looknauth snared 3-20 from 10 overs, inclusive of 6 maidens. Ali-Mohammed took 2-38.
The three-day leg of the tournament will commence on Sunday at 10:00hrs at the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) and Police Sports Club (PSC) grounds respectively.
Essequibo will oppose Demerara at Police, while Berbice will clash with the National Select Under-17 team at Everest.
