Heyliger’s 81 give Essequibo 1st innings points from Demerara

Sep 24, 2009 Sports

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Sarwan leads visitors’ fight-back

By Sean Devers in Essequibo
In association with Bryden
& Frenandes& Arabian Hotel

Delon Heyliger fell 19 short of becoming only the 6th Essequibian to score a century at the senior level as Essequibo took first innings points from Demerara on the 2nd day of their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) 4-Day cricket match at the Anna Regina ground yesterday.
The right-hander who last played at the regional under-19 level in Barbados in 2008, struck 7 sixes and 2 fours in a wonderfully compiled 81 from 111 balls and 118 minutes before he was last out when he missed a big swing at leg-spinner Troy Gonsalves and was stumped as the host, replying to Demerara’s 119, fell for 203.
A maiden 5-wicket haul at this level from off-spinner Zaheer Mohamed (5-37 from 18.3 overs) could not prevent Demerara from conceding an 84-run first innings lead. By the close Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan was leading a fight back as the visitors reached 168-4.
Demerara go into the penultimate day today with a lead of 84 with Sarwan, still searching for his best form and his first ton at this level, unbeaten on 46 from 125 balls and 142 minutes with just 4 fours.
Chris Barnwell, who has so far faced 46 balls and batted for 82 minutes in his undefeated 23 with 2 fours and a six, has so far added 39 with his Skipper for the 5th wicket after joining forces with their team on 129-4.
Sarwan, the only player with Test experience in the game, struggled for fluency on a low track with variable bounce and provided the younger batsmen on both sides with an excellent display of adjusting to difficult conditions and batting to find form in the middle with superb application.
The West Indies right-hander from the Island of Wakanaam was unable to score freely and was put down at gully by Yogeshwar Lall off Trevon Garraway on 33 at 130-4 and has put his head down and batted for his team who are hoping for a lead of over 250 today to stage a come-from-behind win.
On a day marred by a few questionable umpiring decisions, another vocal crowd watched an intense battle between bat and ball as the Essequibo bowlers all stuck to their task although the quality of fielding on the rough outfield was not as good as in the first innings.
Garraway, the only player with First-Class experience on the Essequibo team, has so far picked up 2-47 and could consider himself unlucky when a confident caught behind appeal early in Barnwell’s innings was turned down.
He and Trevor Benn, who again bowled gun-barrel straight and again had a lot of chat for the batsmen, could play a major role today if Essequibo hope to register their 1st win against Demerara in 29 years.
A few well timed cover drives from Sarwan yesterday afternoon suggested the World rated right-hander is slowing returning to form and with Barnwell, Steven Jacobs, Gonsalves, Mohamed and Joseph Perry all competent batsmen, the first session today could decide the contest.
On another day blessed with glorious sunshine, Essequibo resumed on 109-4 and progressed nicely to 155 before Garraway (13) was bowled by Gonsalves to break his 49 run partnership with Heyliger. Skipper Ramesh Narine got going by pulling Gonsalves for four and back-punching him to the cover boundary like a scud missile before he was taken at leg-gully off Mohamed for 21.
Lennox Andrews looked totally out of his league and was trapped leg before to Mohamed in the same over as Mohamed struck twice at 183.
By lunch, Heyliger was closing in on joining Jeff Jones, Ramcharran Singh, Denesh Joseph and Ramesh Narine as the Essequibo centurions at 203-7 and the pint-size Andrew Williams still there, the prospects of a lead of 150 looked bright for the home team.

However, the innings was all over without addition to the lunch-time score as Mohamed cleaned up the tail.
Williams, who was given not out to an appeal for a catch to short-leg just before lunch to the displeasure of the entire Demerara team, seemed unfortunate to be given out in similar fashion for 9 by the same Umpire. Benn (0) was also taken at bat/pad while Heyliger, knowing that he was running out of partners, gave his wicket away with a wild swipe to end a fine innings.
Gonsalves (2-38) and Barnwell (2-43) supported Mohamed for Demerara who raced to 44 before Shemroy Barrington (30), attempted one attacking shot too many and was caught at mid-off as the ball stuck in the right hand of Narine as he stuck it out running to his left to break the partnership in spectacular fashion.
Benn then had Chandrika LBW for 7 at 44-2 and when Leon Johnson (13) pushed out to National under-19 left-arm spinner Anthony Adams and was taken at slip at 73-3, Demerara was still 11 runs away from clearing off the deficit and Essequibo were ‘large and in-charge’ in their own backyard.
Krishna Deosarran again looked full of talent and along with the more subdued Sarwan, put together 56 for the 4th wicket before Deosarran, who was dropped at slip off Adams on 15, edged Garraway to the Keeper at 129-4 after making 34.
Sarwan was then put down by Lall and Barnwell rubbed salt into Garraway’s wounds by pulling the pacer to the mid wicket boundary and audaciously driving him down the ground for consecutive fours in the eventful over.
Williams bowled with good control and along with Adams kept the dangerous Sarwan quiet for most of his innings while Barnwell, who hit Narine over square-leg for 6 to bring up the 150, also went into his shell as the 5th wicket pair looked determined to come back today to continue their rebuilding job.

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