Persaud, Griffith shine as Demerara , Berbice triumph

Demerara and Berbice secured convincing victories in the second round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Under-19 Inter-County Super50 tournament on Tuesday, setting up an intriguing third round of matches on Thursday.
At the Lusignan Sports Club Ground, Demerara U19 produced a clinical all-round performance to defeat the GCB Select XI U19 by six wickets.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, the Select XI were bundled out for a modest 84 in 24 overs. Only Joshua Budhram, who remained unbeaten on 17, and Yannick Newton with 16, offered any meaningful resistance as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Demerara’s bowling attack was spearheaded by Dhanesh Persaud, who delivered a devastating spell of 5 for 18 from six overs to dismantle the lower order. He was well supported by Parmeshwar Ram (2 for 20) and Vijai Kalpu (1 for 15), as the Select XI struggled to build partnerships on a hard surface under sunny conditions.
In reply, Demerara made light work of the target, reaching 85 for 4 in just 17.2 overs. Khush Seegobin top-scored with 22, while Parmeshwar Ram added a quickfire 16 at the top of the order. After a brief middle-order wobble, Shamar Apple (11 not out) and Emmanuel Lewis (14 not out) guided the team home safely.
Persaud’s outstanding five-wicket haul earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.
Meanwhile, at the Police Sports Club Ground in Georgetown, Berbice U19 turned in a dominant display to defeat Essequibo U19 by 92 runs.

Batting first after winning the toss, Berbice posted 184 all out in 40.3 overs. Romario Ramdeholl led from the front with a solid 43 off 56 balls, striking four fours and two sixes. He received valuable support from Richard Ramdeholl, who made an aggressive 37 from 31 deliveries, and Adrian Hetmyer, who contributed 31.
Essequibo’s Darrius Pearson was the standout bowler despite the defeat, claiming 5 for 33, while Darwin Joseph chipped in with 2 for 30.
Chasing 185 for victory, Essequibo never recovered from an early setback and were dismissed for 92 in 32.3 overs. Romario Bholo top-scored with 28, but lacked sustained support from the rest of the batting lineup.
Berbice’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Gilbert Griffith producing a match-winning spell of 6 for 15 from 7.3 overs. He was ably assisted by Micah Amsterdam, Arif Khan, and Richard Ramdeholl, each of whom claimed a wicket.
The tournament continues on Thursday when Demerara clash with Berbice at the Police Sports Club Ground, while Essequibo will be looking to rebound when they face the Select XI at Lusignan.