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GCB’s Inter County cricket …Chandrika’s ‘double’ give Demerara upper hand
By Sean Devers
On a day in which 69 minutes were lost due to a mid-morning shower, Opening batsman Rajendra Chandrika fashioned
Raun Johnson
a classy 219 to give Demerara the upper hand against Berbice at the end of day two of the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Inter-County four day cricket tournament at Bourda yesterday.
Chandrika’s second Inter-County century and first ‘double’ since Assad Fudadin’s 208 against Essequibo at Anna Regina in 2009, took 481 minutes, 363 balls and was decorated with 14 fours and a six and helped the home team to declare 77 minutes after lunch at 442-6.
Fast bowler Raun Johnson took 4-68 from 17.3 overs for Berbice, who recovered from 54-4 to reach 130-5 by the extended close of play with Jonathon Foo, who stroked 51 from 122 balls with six boundaries, being controversially given LBW to make shift off-spinner Trevon Griffith off the last ball of the day.
When play began yesterday in overcast conditions, Demerara resumed on 320-3 and a shower soon sent the players scurrying off the field. When played re-started the 25-year-old Chandrika, who two fifties from 22 First-Class matches, progressed nicely from his overnight 138. He got going with a gorgeous cover driven boundary off pacer Keon Joseph before dancing into left-arm Test spinner Veerasammy Permaul and hitting him over mid-on for four as he reached 150 from 272 balls with 19 fours.
He moved to 166 by Lunch after putting together 54 with Chris Barnwell, who was caught behind off Royston Crandon for 25 on the stroke of Lunch with the score on 371-4.
After the interval, Chandrika, who made his Inter-County debut at Everest against Essequibo in 2008 with a well compiled 65, played an array of scintillating shots on the lush green outfield.
The elegant right hander who seems to love the Berbice bowling, launched into off-spinner Steven Latcha and deposited him into the Rohan Kanhai stand for his only six and along with Shemroy Barrington (11) shared a fifth wicket stand of 48 as the sun returned in all its glory on a placid track which made bowling a tedious task.
Rajendra Chandrika
Chandrika’s other century, an even hundred in 2009 at Everest before he was bowled by Devendra Bishoo, also came against Berbice and yesterday the Everest batsman enjoyed himself against spinners who, insisted on bowling a defensive line before Barrington gifted his wicket to Permaul at 418-5.
The declaration was made when Chandrika was trapped LBW by the impressive Johnson leaving Zaheer Mohamed unbeaten on six.
When the defending 50-over Champions began their reply, they were quickly reduced to 40-3 after losing Jason Sinclair (2) to Barnwell at 7-1, Devon Clements (1) LBW to Paul Wintz at 31-2 and Crandon (7) bowled by Barnwell. When Kandasammy Surujnarine was run out at the non-striker’s end by a direct hit by the Keeper Joseph Perry for 22 just when he seemed set for something substantial, Berbice were on the back foot at 54-4.
But Foo and Anthony Bramble repaired the damage with positive batting against an attack which seemed short of a genuine fast bowler with Foo punching Wintz for back-to-back fours through the covers before racing into the 40s with a savage pull for four when Robin Bacchus pitched short.
Bramble also climbed into Bacchus with a savage pull as he again pounded one in, before the Berbice Keeper hammered another boundary off Mohamed, who continues to operate with a suspect action.
With the partnership worth 76 and two balls left in the day, part-time off-spinner Griffith, who also has a suspect action, trapped Foo LBW to leave Bramble unbeaten on 38 with his team still 312 run behind the host.
However, Test batsman Narsingh Deonarine, who did not bat yesterday due to a severe case of ‘stiff neck’ should join Bramble today leaving the Demerara bowlers with some work still left to be done.
The penultimate day is scheduled to commence at 09:30hrs today.
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