Latest update February 4th, 2025 9:06 AM
Essequibo still on top despite sloppy final session
By Sean Devers in Essequibo
In association with Arabian Hotel
Ronsford Beaton
Despite a sloppy final session in which they floored four catches and wicketkeeper Herrel Greene was way below his best behind the stumps, Essequibo still ended the penultimate of their three-day GTM under-19 Inter-County cricket encounter against Demerara at the Anna Regina ground on top in the first round encounter.
When bad light stopped play yesterday at 17:49hrs, Demerara were 128-6 off 75 overs, still 100 runs away from first innings points going into the final day today.
Ryan Rajmangal batted for 70 overs for a painstaking 49 before he threw his wicket away with an impetuous swipe at pacer Ronsford Beaton just before the close after hitting three fours.
National under-17 Skipper Dexter Solomon supported with 27 but only Skipper Jeetendra Sookdeo (10) of the other batsmen reached double figures on a flat track after rain had interrupted play from 10:29hrs until 13:30hrs. Beaton has so far picked up 3-24 from 13 overs while Skipper Royston Alkins has supported with 2-21- from 15 overs of off-spin.
Had the hosts held their catches and a confident caught behind appeal off unlucky left-arm spinner Floyd Henry gone their way, the home team would have been in an even better position.
Demerara resumed on 2-1 replying to Essequibo’s 227 and added 11 runs in 29 minutes as Sookdeo and Rajmangal were never allowed to score freely against the new ball pair of the impressive Beaton and left-arm pacer Suresh Persaud.
Ryan Rajmangal plays a rare attacking against left-arm spinner Anthony Adams during his top score defiant 49 for Demerara against Essequibo at Anna Regina yesterday.
A heavy shower sent the players scurrying off the field with Demerara on 13-2 and when play eventually resumed at 13:30hrs with 64 overs left in the day’s play, Beaton continued to impress on the flat track and a quick bouncer which nearly took off the head of the helmeted Sookdeo, brought the fair size crowd to life. By tea, Demerara has limped to 63-4 with the pint size Rajmangal staging a lone fight on 33 and Solomon on 10. Rajmangal got his innings into gear with two consecutive cuts to the point boundary off the lively Beaton and later lofted left-arm spinner Anthony Adams over cover for four but good captaincy from Alkins, alert fielding and on-target bowling kept the Demerara batsmen in check.
Sookdeo (10) drove Adams just over his head for four before offering a soft return catch in the same over as Demerara slipped to 23-3. And when Rajendra Naikbarran, in his third year at this level, was bowled for six by Alkins the visitors were 38-4 and in danger of falling below the 77-run follow-on target.
However, Solomon and Rajmangal lead a middle order recovery as the sun returned in all of its glory although Rajmangal was lucky to not be dismissed for 37 with the score on 76-4.
Rajmangal hit Henry to mid-on and the fans and the Essequibo were already celebrating before a No-Ball call (Umpire Zakier adjudged the Greene’s gloves to be in front of the wicket before the ball reached the batsman) spoiled their joyous mood.
With the might Atlantic Ocean just beyond the Eastern boundary, the fifth wicket pair showed plenty of fight as the confident Essequibians maintained their grip on the contest.
But the no-ball decision seemed to have sapped the exuberance out of the Essequibians. Solomon was dropped by the Keeper off Christopher Blucher on 19 and by Alkins on 22 off Henry, six runs later while Rajmangal was put down at short leg off the unlucky Henry on 39. Solomon then edged Alkins to slip to leave the score on 98-5 before Rajmangal who spent an hour and 26 minutes in the 40s, played a rare injudicious shot and skied a catch to point to waste his defiant effort and leave his team in great danger of losing first innings points today.
Keshan Shivgobin (9)-who seemed lucky not to be given caught behind off Henry- and Vikesh Dhaniram (3) survived some anxious moments before they accepted the bad light offer. Play is schedulled to commence at 09:30hrs today.
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