Hemraj (115*), Byron (108*) pulverize East Bank

Hemraj (115), Byron (108) pulverize East Bank

Jun 10, 2011 Sports

Chanderpaul Hemraj

Jahron Byron

By Sean Devers

A day after East Coast, led by a pugnacious unbeaten 156 from Brian Sattaur, piled up 275-3 off 48 overs against East Bank at Providence in the Demerara Inter-Association 50-overs Under-19 cricket competition, Georgetown put the hapless East Bank bowlers to the sword by posting the competition’s highest total.
Left-hander Chanderpaul Hemraj smashed 10 fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 115 from 125 balls and added 248 in an unfinished fourth wicket stand with Jahron Bryon who made 108 not out from 129 balls with eight fours and a six as Georgetown posted an imposing 287-3 off 50 overs.
East Bank crashed to their second defeat in as many matches being dismissed for 71 in 30.1 overs, extras leading all scorers with 14. Hemraj (2-8 from 4 overs), West Indies Under-19 leg-spinner Amir Khan (2-8 from 4.1) and left-arm spinner Raj Nanan (2-9 from 7 overs) did the damage with the ball for Georgetown.
The sun was out in all its glory and a large crowd which included Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of Housing and Water Irfan Ali, were on hand at the Stadium to see Georgetown triumph by 216 runs, their second consecutive victory.
But the explosive batting of 17-year-old Hemraj and 18-year-old Bryon had little to do with the crowd in the stands since applicants for the Government House Lots in Eccles were asked to attend a ‘Housing Symposium’ hosted by the Housing Ministry at the Stadium.
East Bank, which plays the least of the cricket among the four area Associations in Demerara, must have been hopeful with Georgetown on 39-3 after the city boys had elected to bat first on a flat track and fast outfield.
Pacer John Paton who finished with 2-45 from nine overs, bowled both openers (Alex Romalho 18 and Mohan Ramdeen 5) while his new ball partner Levon Beckles had Mark Rhobe (4) caught behind to push Georgetown, who beat East Coast in their opening game, on the back foot.
However, the dread-locked Byron, an attractive right-hander from DDC joined Everest left-hander Hemraj and the pair destroyed the bowling with a magnificent array of audacious shots to entertain those present, many of whom missed hearing their House lots announcements due to their attention on batting carnage in the middle.
A nonchalant six by Hemraj off medium pacer Daniel Barker sailed into the Presidential Box in the 48th over before Byron set the Stadium ablaze in the final over as Barker, who ended with 0-74 from six overs, conceded 24 runs in the last over. The over began with Byron needing 14 for his century and ended with a disdainful six over the bowler’s head as Byron celebrated his ton which came up with a sumptuous back cut to the point boundary off the penultimate ball of the innings.
East Bank with an uphill task in search of victory quickly lost Denish Singh for a duck at 2-1 and never recovered although Paton (12) managed to get into double figures towards the end of the innings.
Barker ended a forgettable match when he was run out for a duck at 3-2. When 2008 National Under-15 player Jagdesh Bushun (7) was bowled by West Indies Under-19 player Kwame Crosse at 13-3, the match was all but over.
Competition continues today with West Demerara and East Bank clashing at Eve Leary. Should West Demerara win they will be level with Georgetown on two wins from two matches and the decision by the GCB competitions committee on the West Demerara, Georgetown game which was controversially not played on Wednesday, will be of crucial importance in arriving at this year’s champions.

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