Latest update April 18th, 2025 8:12 AM
Paul blitz gives Essequibo 56-run victory over U17s
By Zaheer Mohamed
It was a Keemo Paul show at the Everest Cricket Club yesterday, the all-rounder smashed a swashbuckling century and picked up two wickets to lead Essequibo to a 56-run victory over the Select U17 team when the Guyana
Kemp Paul collects his man-of-the-match award from match referee Reon King.
Cricket Board/Hand-in-Hand Inter County U19 50-over tournament continued.
Skipper Paul rescued his team as he dominated a 147-run eight-wicket partnership with Leslie Allen after they were reduced to 73-8 following their decision to bat in hazy conditions. The right-handed Paul smashed the bowlers to all parts of the outfield as he galloped to an unbeaten 156 off 120 balls after the game was reduced to 46 overs, leading his team to 231-8 off their reduced 44 overs.
Essequibo lost Nathan Persaud (00) with the score on eight before Mark Williams (13) and Siddique Mohamed (07) added 30 for the second wicket, however leg spinner Tameshwar Motieram removed them both in the space of eight runs, leaving the score on 38-3. Pacer Colin Barlow sent back Sachin Persaud for six before Paul and Akenie Adams attempted to repair the damage with a fifth-wicket stand of 24, but Ashmead Nedd had Adams caught for four to further reduced Essequibo.
Jonathan Fernandes (01), Looknauth Chinkoo (00) and Miguel Jones (06) all fell in quick succession to give the U17s hope of an easy victory, only to be intercepted by Paul’s brilliance.
Paul inched his way to his half century and was well supported by Allen, who though did not score as freely, held up the other end. After reaching his fifty, he continued to calmly accumulate his runs with nudges and pushes and occasional boundary. Paul then stepped up the scoring rate as he approached his century, he made batting looked simple, effortlessly piercing the outfield which was slow due to high grass on most areas, and cleared it at will. He smashed Kevin Sinclair and Joshua Jones for sixes before hitting Sagar Hatheramani and Motieram who was the most successful bowler with 3-21, for fours. Paul was even more merciless after reaching his century off 105 balls, dumping Bhaskar Yadram and Hatheramani over the ropes. The penultimate over sent down by Yadram yielded 24 runs, while Hatheramani’s last produced 21. Paul’s innings contained eight fours and fifteen sixes and came off 120 balls, so dominant was the Essequibo skipper that Allen only managed seven in the stand. Nedd took 2-15 while Barlow and Sinclair had one each. Extras assisted with 31.
Yadram and Sachin Singh added 40 for the first wicket before Singh retired hurt. Off-Spinner Chinkoo then had Reyon Venture caught and bowled without scoring, while Adams accounted for Yadram 19. Chinkoo then removed Steve Deonarine and Kevin Sinclair for five and zero respectively to restrict the U17s to 55-4.
However, Singh resumed his innings and together with the in-form Joshua Persaud staged a fight back with partnership of 63. The duo negotiated some testing bowling as they carefully rotated the strike. But Paul provided the breakthrough by disturbing the stumps of Singh who struck three fours in scoring 39. Persaud hit three fours before he too was removed by Paul caught at the wicket for 58. Hatheramani was then run out for 10 before Paul bowled Motieram for one. Impressive Fifteen-year-old pacer Reyaz Khan finished off the innings by bowling Nedd (00) and Jones (14) as the U17s were sent packing for 175 in 42 overs. Chinkoo claimed 3-19, Adams 2-23, Khan 2-30 and man-of-the-match Paul 2-42.
The competition continues tomorrow.
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