Igloo Inter-County Cricket…Demerara take 1st innings points as 8 Berbice Batsmen fail the score

Apr 06, 2014 Sports

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By Sean Devers
Defending champions Demerara took first innings points from arch rivals Berbice on the first day of the deciding round of their Igloo Ice Cream under-15 Inter-County two-day cricket match at the Everest ground on Camp Road yesterday.
Another unbeaten innings from 13-year-old DCC right-hander Alphius Bookie, who suffered his first dismissal in the competition in the second innings yesterday, led Demerara to 185-5 off 42 overs when their allotted two hours and 30 minutes batting time expired.
Bookie, the leading run scorer in the recent DCB Inter-Association under-15 tournament, finished unbeaten on 64 from 117 minutes, 91 balls, with five fours and got support from Ashmead Nedd (34) and Joshua Persaud (23) to give Demerara a 94-run lead after the visitors were skittled out for 92 from 32.5 overs despite a fighting 55 from opening batsman Kevin Sinclair.
Sinclair hit four fours in his 109-ball and 130-minute half-century but got no support from the other end. Dineshwar Budoo (13) and Javeed Karim (16) were the only other batsmen to make any runs as eight batsmen failed to score in a dramatic collapse with saw Berbice slumping from 73-3 to lose their seven wickets for 19 runs.
Left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd (4-25) and fast bowler Anthony Antonio (2-9) secured two bowling points for the home team in addition to the six they got for the first innings lead.
By the close, Demerara were 102-6 from 28 overs in their second innings as they extended their lead to 196. Sagar Hathiramani (1) and Azim Alli (0) were at the crease.
Persaud was bowled by Kevin Sinclair for 32 at 41-1 before Bookie was dismissed for the first time in the competition when he was run out for nine at 71-2. Yadram then fell to Seon Glasgow for an aggressive 40 with five fours at 88-3, Kurt Lovell (7) was LBW to Javeed Karim at 97-4 and two runs later Nedd (0) ran himself out for the second time in match. Paul Thomas (8) was LBW to Karim in the last over of the day.
Earlier, Demerara won the toss in steaming hot conditions and elected to bat on a straw coluored track and a slightly parched and lightening fast outfield.
In form openers Persaud and Yadram, who shared in a century second wicket stand against the President’s X1 in the first round at DCC, built a solid foundation with an attractive 41-run partnership before Skipper Yadram tried to hit left-arm spinner Kris Ramnarine over mid-on and was caught.
Yadram got 56 against the President’s X1 and 29 in his last game against Essequibo but again wasted a good start, falling for 23 yesterday.   Persaud, one of only two batsmen with a three-figure score in the four-team competition, looked in prime touch and two elegant boundaries through extra cover in successive balls from Ramnarine were full of class.
Kevin Sinclair made the breakthrough just after the 50 was posted in 11.5 overs when the right-handed Persaud seemed a bit unlucky to be given LBW off the inside edge with the home team on 54-2.
A small turn out of mostly parents watched as Bookie and Kurt Lovell carried the score to 83 before Lovell who reached the ropes twice in his 15 was taken at slip off Ramnarine.
Paul Thomas and the confident Bookie saw the 100 come up in the 27th over before Thomas (15) fell to pacer Junior Williams at 125-4 to give Berbice, who like Demerara, began the final round on 33 points, their only bowling point.
Nedd joined the well entrenched Bookie who has unbeaten scores of 41 against the President’s X1 and 66 against Essequibo, and together they took the score to 175 before Nedd, who looked good, was run out just before Lunch for 34 from 36 balls with four fours.
Reaz Alli (2*) and Bookie, who reached his 50 from 75 balls, 127 minutes with five fours, saw their team to Lunch when their allotted batting time expired. Ramnarine finished with 2-47.
After the interval, Berbice, with 46 overs to bat, lost Budoo (13) LBW to pacer Antonio with the score on 33-1.
Two wickets tumbled one run later when Nedd bowled Steve Deonarine for a duck and Ramnarine had his stumps disturbed by Antonio before he had scored as the team from the Ancient County slipped to 34-3.
Kevin Sinclair and Javeed Karim joined forces to take the score to 73 with a 39-run fourth wicket stand before Karim was run out for 16.  Junior Williams joined the fluent Kevin Sinclair but did not last long. He was trapped LBW to off-spinner Sagar Hathiramani before he had scored to begin the sensational collapse.
Meanwhile, in the other match at DCC, Christopher Campbell fashioned an accomplished unbeaten 106 from 107 balls to put the President’s X1 in control against Essequibo when the opening day of their final round game ended.
The left-handed Campbell, who plays for GNIC in GCA’s cricket, hit 12 fours and a six to follow up his half century against Demerara at DCC to give his team a first innings lead of 71.
His undefeated ton spearheaded the President’s X1 to 187-4 from 43 overs at Lunch from their allotted batting time. Anil Singh supported with 21 while Shamar Dhasrat took 2-21.
Essequibo replied with 115 all out with Orlando Jailall (22), Trevon Collins (21) Leonardo Bennett (17) offering token resistance to Stephon Wilson (4-15) and Junior Phillips (2-4).
The President’s X1 in their second innings were71 for the loss of Anil Singh’s wicket enjoying a lead of 142 runs with Mark Ramsammy and Campbell both on 25.
Today is the second and final day of both matches and play is scheduled to commence at 09:30 hrs.

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