Berbice take first innings points in drawn game

Jun 01, 2011 Sports

By Sean Devers at Providence
Stylish right-handed opener Rickado Peters followed up his unbeaten 69 in the first innings with a solid 34 to ensure Essequibo held on for a draw against defending champions Berbice when their opening round two-day under-15 Inter-County cricket match ended at the Providence Stadium yesterday.

Rickado Peters followed up his unbeaten 69 in the first innings with a solid 34 yesterday to help Essequibo to a draw against Berbice.

Berbice began the final day on 37-3 replying to Essequibo’s 148-5 off 65 overs and declared at Tea at 201-7 after Nicholas Cameron (46) and Sharaz Ramcharran (52) had added 78 for the fourth wicket.
With a deficit of 53, Essequibo reached 77-5 off 52 overs in their second innings to collect three points from the drawn encounter. Berbice took an early lead in the three team tournament by moving to six points from their opening match.
Ramcharran and Cameron resumed for Berbice when play began 15 minutes late due to morning rain carried the score to 92 by Lunch with sensible batting on a slow track. This was after a 15-minute shower mid-way through the opening session had caused another interruption.
After the interval Cameron edged a cut at leg-spinner Kemol Savory and was caught behind when four short of his half-century. He struck six fours in his innings and his demise left the defending champions on 115-4.
Ramcharran, who also struck six fours in his innings, was then bowled by Savory shortly after reaching his fifty to leave Berbice on 139-5.
Six runs later, Hakeem Hinds (11) was stumped by wicketkeeper Devon George, while with the score on 184 David Latchya was removed by Akel Wallace, the younger brother of former Guyana under-19 player David Wallace.
In blazing sunshine, Neil Smith, the son of former National under-19 Coach Albert Smith, joined Arif Chan and the pair took their team to 201-7 off 61 overs by Tea when the declaration was
made with Chan on 26 and Smith 11.
Wallace (3-34) and Savory (2-48) were the best bowlers for Essequibo who lost Parmesh Parsaton (15) and Kemo Paul (2) in the space of two runs to slip to 21-2 when they began their second innings.
It was soon 32-3 when Skipper George was bowled for a duck by Chan and when Savory (9) was trapped leg before to Ricardo Henry at 54-4, Berbice still pushing for an outright win in the rain affected contest.

Watched by non-striker Nicholas Cameron who made 46, Sharaz Ramcharran on-drives during his half-century for Berbice at Providence.

When the last hour began 15:28hrs with Essequibo on 64-4, a draw was the most likely result but the pint-size Peters, followed up his first innings batting with another solid performance before he ran himself out with 11 overs left in the day and another fifty there for the taking.
Peters’ departure left Essequibo on 73-5 and their batsmen, including Wallace who made 14 not out, opted for batting practice as they prepare to face Demerara tomorrow and Friday in the next match at Providence.