GCB four-day Inter-County cricket...Demerara in ascendancy on opening day

GCB four-day Inter-County cricket…Demerara in ascendancy on opening day

Sep 25, 2014 Sports

By Sean Devers
The Sun was out in all of its glory at the Everest ground yesterday, but 50 minutes of

Trevon Griffith uses his to on-drive during his 50 for Demerara at Everest yesterday.

play was lost due to the late arrival of lunch and late arrival of the match balls in the second round Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) four-day cricket encounter between defending champions Demerara the GCB Development X1.
When bad light stopped play at 17:28hrs with two overs remaining in the day’s play the hosts were 134-3 in reply to the GCB side’s 154 all out, still 20 runs in arrears.
Shemron Hetymer was the only batsman to reach 35 for the GCB team after making 41 from 31 minutes and 27 balls with eight fours as Chris Barnwell finished with 4-48 and got support from leg-spinner Amir Khan (2-46) and left-arm spinner Raj Nanan (2-3).
Twenty-three year-old Trevon Griffith followed up his first round century with an accomplished 53 from 107 minutes and 92 balls with five fours and shared in a 65-run second partnership with Rajendra Chandrika, who made 26 from 59 balls and 76 minutes with three fours. Skipper Steven Jacobs, who had a six-wicket haul in the first match, has so far picked up 2-33 with his off-spin.
The GCB Development X1 won the toss and opted to bat on an easy paced pitch after a 10-minute late start and they were given a firm foundation by West Indies under-19 openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Hetymer, who dominated the partnership on a fast outfield.
While Chanderpaul struggled to score, Hetymer was his usual aggressive self and went after the bowling, being especially severe on debutant left-arm medium pacer Gavin Moriah, who replaced opening batman Shemron Barrington in the side and looked way below this level.
Berbician Hetymer, the younger brother of Berbice player Shemroy Hetymer, played an array of attractive shots and seemed well set for a half century when he was trapped LBW to seamer Paul Wintz for 41 at 47-1. The 17-year-old Hetymer, who has played a single First-Class match, departed just when he was beginning to look threatening.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul is trapped LBW to Chris Barnwell (far right) at Everest yesterday.

Medium pacer Barnwell struck twice in two balls with the score on 60 when he had Chanderpaul Hemraj (10) well taken at cover by Moriah and Jacobs, also taken by Moriah, low down at mid-on, for a duck to leave Barnwell on a hat-trick.
David Latchaya averted the hat-trick before Barnwell had Chanderpaul LBW for a painstaking eight from 80 minutes and 40 balls to leave the GCB unit on 73-4. By Lunch Latchaya and Kemo Paul had taken the score to 89-4.
After a delay on 40 minutes due to the late arrival of the food for the players and officials, play finally resumed and Paul (7) was bowled by Barnwell at 90-5, while five runs later Kemol Savory was run out for a duck.
With the mighty Atlantic Ocean as the backdrop and a cooling breeze blowing across the ground Latchya was joined by Yatesh Dhanpaul and together they took the score to 116 before Dhanpaul (11) hoisted Khan to long-off. Left-arm spinner Raj Nanan then got rid of Latchya, LBW for well compiled 34 from 144 minutes and 66 balls with five fours to leave the score on 120-8.
Kellon Carmichael (4) was removed by Khan at 127-9 before Steven Sankar, who played some elegant shots in his undefeated 24 which was decorated with three fours and a six, added 27 for the last wicket with Nial Smith who was eventually LBW to Nanan on the stroke of Tea.
Demerara began their reply in the last session and Griffith and Robin Bacchus played in positive fashion with Griffith caressing Carmichael majestically to the cover boundary, while Bacchus rocked back and pulled Paul through wide mid-on for a boundary before leaning forward and stroking him with immaculate precision into the gap between mid-off and cover for another four in the over.
But Jacobs introduced himself into the attack and Bacchus (20) tried to take him on but only succeeded in finding Carmichael on the long-off boundary at 45-1 to bring Chandrika, with a double century to his name in the first, to join Griffith.
Jacobs could have had two wickets in two balls had Savory not miss stumped Chandrika, first ball. Chandrika flicked Carmichael off his legs and whipped him for fours in successive overs after Griffith had square driven Jacobs for four as the partnership flourished.
Griffith smashed Dhanpaul through the covers for four to move to 49 and flicked the off-spinner for a single to bring up his 50, while Chandrika viciously pulled Dhanpaul for four.
Jacobs then had Griffith LBW at 110-2 to break the 65-run stand and Sankar then removed Chandrika for 26 with three fours from 76 minutes and 59 balls before Skipper Vishaul Singh (6*) and night Watchman Khan, who played in a batsman-like manner, to end on 14 not out, saw Demerara safely to the close.
The GCB Development team members wore black ribbons on their shirts as a mark of respect to Essequibo opener Kevin Boodie who lost two family members during the last week. Play is scheduled to start at 09:22 hrs today.