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GCB Inter-County U-19 cricket Demerara hammer E’bo by innings & 135
By Sean Devers
A mesmerizing spell of leg-spin bowling by 18-year-old National under-19 player Steven Sankar wrecked Essequibo twice in one day to lead Demerara to an emphatic innings and 135-run win with over a day and a session to spare in their opening round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) three-day Inter-County cricket match at the DCC ground yesterday.
The talented Malteenoes all-rounder captured 5-17 in the first innings and 8-58 in the second as Essequibo, who were asked to follow-on, could only reach 104 and 132 on the same pitch on which Demerara amassed 341 in their only innings.
Sankar, who made his Regional under-19 debut last year, fell just short of his career best 8-29 for Malteenoes against DCC in 2012, as he produced his best bowling figures at this level to finish with match figures of 13-75 from 15.2 overs.
Man-of-the-Match Steven Sankar was almost unplayable yesterday taking a 13-75 match haul
In sultry conditions on a slightly heavy outfield, Essequibo resumed the penultimate day on 23-1 in their first innings and were making steady progress at 64-3 when the destructive Sankar was introduced into the attack after Shivendra Hemraj had top scored with 32.
The lanky leggie started his demolition work in his first over and took his five wickets in just four overs as Essequibo were left in tatters and in danger of not reaching a three figure total at 77-9.
Ryan Adams, who thumped two huge sixes and a four in 20, added 27 with last man Akini Adams who scored an undefeated seven to keep the confident home team in the field a bit longer before Ryan Adams departed.
Pacers Keon Morris took 2-47 and Kevin Paul 2-5 offered excellent support to Sankar as Demerara tightened the screws on Essequibo who were promptly asked to follow-on, 237 runs behind.
By lunch the lads from the Cinderella County had reached 13-1 after losing Ricardo Peters for a duck with just one run on the board.
After the interval Essequibo’s best player Kemo Paul (12) was bowled by Sankar after being promoted in the order at 29-3 and it was soon 57-3 when Sankar got rid of Hemraj (12).
However, the left-handed Avenash Persaud seemed more comfortable with the ball coming onto the bat and savagely tore into fast bowler Kevin Paul with an effortless six over the sightscreen and into a yard over the road beyond the northern boundary. The pugnacious Persaud followed it up with a sweetly timed drive to cover boundary and disdainful flick for four through mid-wicket in Paul’s next over.
Keno Harry then dumped Sankar for a six on top of the DCC Pavilion and clobbered him for two more fours in an over which cost 18 runs to briefly give Essequibo hope of the arrival of a Fairy Godmother to rescue them from another humiliating defeat.
However, the visitors were not to have any such luck. Sankar was not afraid to tease the batsmen with generous flight with such a big total to defend even if it meant sacrificing a few lusty blows for a wicket and once he induced Persaud to hit a catch to mid-off to leave Essequibo on 94-5, it sparked another familiar batting collapse as every batsman tried hitting the leather off the ball to further expose their overdose of t20 cricket in that County.
With Harry well set for a half-century and more than a day left to get it, he irresponsibly tried to clear long-on and was easily taken off Sankar at mid-on after making 30 with two fours and a six as Essequibo were flat on the canvas at 125-8 and never managed to rise again.
An Essequibo cricket official bemoaned the lack of club cricket in Region two and three and the absence of two-day cricket because of inadequate funds. He added that if this is not corrected then Essequibo, which he feels has talent but no proper structure, will continue to do badly at Inter-County level. He added that the politics and internal power struggle among Board members is not doing any good for the players.
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