CLICO U-17 Inter- County cricket (2nd round)...Berbice in sight of 1st innings points against struggling E’bo

CLICO U-17 Inter- County cricket (2nd round)…Berbice in sight of 1st innings points against struggling E’bo

Sep 10, 2008 Sports

Defending champions Berbice were well placed to take first innings points from Essequibo when the first day of their two-day CLICO Inter-County cricket match at the Canje Community Centre ground ended yesterday in Berbice.

Harrinarine Chattergoon

Trinson Carmicheal

Jomal LaFleur

Essequibo, who lost outright to Demerara on Sunday in the opening round, were again competitive during the early exchanges by limiting the strong Berbice batting line-up to 180-8 off their first innings 65 overs allotment on a slow track in sunny conditions as Guyana under-15 Captain Harrinarine Chattergoon top scored with 40.

However, the visitors, with another pathetic batting performance, struggled to 80-7 off 23 overs by the close and head into today’s final day needing another 100 runs for first innings points from 42 overs with three wickets in hand.

Left-arm spinner Trinson Carmichael has so far taken 3-19 from 10 overs while off-spinner Jomal La Fleur supported with 3-18 from five overs. Guyana under-19 pacer Keon Joseph bowled with lively pace in an erratic six-over spell in which he conceded six no-balls and five wides and took one wicket for 30 runs.

Wicketkeeper Herell Greene, who had a catch and a stumping off McLennon, like he did with a responsible 71 against Demerara, looked the only batsman prepared to dig deep at this level with 20 from 28 balls and 48 minutes with three fours.

Essequibo began the day well when La Fleur (4) was leg before to impressive pacer Rensford Beaton at 5-1. The talented Chattergoon and little Dominique Ricky steadied the ship with a 70-run second wicket partnership before Chattergoon, who struck six fours in his 91-ball innings which lasted 123 minutes, was removed at 75-2.

Clinton Pestano looked aggressive in his 59-ball 32 with six boundaries but Ricky (26) was the only other Berbice batsmen to pass 25 as the Essequibo bowlers, like they did against Demerara in the first innings, bowled with steady control and never allowed the batsmen to cut loose.

Guyana under-15 middle order batsman Jamally Odle offered some fight with 18 and added 40 for the fourth wicket with Pestano before they were both dismissed by Leg-spinner Keron McLennon who captured 2-11.

Beaton finished with 2-20 while Left-arm spinner Anthony Adams, who took a hat-trick in the first match, took 2-30 to move to seven wickets, three more than the Demerara spin pair of Amir Khan and Ricardo Devers who are joint second among the wicket takers so far with four scalps each.

When Essequibo began their reply, a handful of spectators watched as the lively Joseph scattered the stumps of Jermaine Hoenkirk (5) at 23-1.

McLennon (7) and Greene took the score to 44 before McLennon was leg before to Carmichael and once Greene was leg before to La Fleur, Essequibo lost six wickets for 31 runs in a familiar batting collapse to put the reigning champions in a commanding position to press for an outright win on the final day to start their final round clash with Demerara as joint leaders of the three-team tournament.