MVP Mentore leads Rising Stars to 4-Wkt win over E’bo

Apr 26, 2022 Sports

Dave’s West Indian Imports U15 Inter County cricket…

By Sean Devers

Keron Phillips screams at the Umpire as Omarion Smith is given not out yesterday at Everest. (Sean Devers photo)

Watched by his dad, Deputy Mayor of Georgetown and former Guyana U19 batter, Alfred Mentore, Jonathon Mentore hit an unbeaten 29 after taking 2-35 to take the Most Valuable Player Award and lead Rising Stars to four wicket win over Essequibo in the second round of the Dave West Indian Imports U15 Inter-County Cricket tournament at Everest yesterday.

Zandon Rose hits Revaldo Pereira for four during his 52 yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)

Set 163 to win after restricting Essequibo to 162-4 from 50 overs, Mentore returned with the bat to score a responsible unbeaten 29 from 91 balls with a single boundary, while Hemant Sukhdeo hit two fours in 14 to see the Rising Stars home.
A whooping 53 extras contributed to the win as did Arvin Suknanand (27), Keron Phillips (21) and Dravid Manohar, who was run out for 15.
Varendra Pooran took 2-15 for Essequibo, who won the toss and elected to bat in overcast conditions on a good track and fast Everest outfield.

MVP Jonathon Mentore made an unbeaten 29 after taking 2-35 at Everest yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)

Essequibo got a 51-run opening stand from 11-year-old Ethon Silas who held up one end with two runs from 76 balls and Omarion Smith who hit three fours in his 85-ball 29 before the pint size Silas retired hurt suffering from wind pain.When Smith was removed at 60-1 in the 28th over, Nicholas Lovell, the nephew of ex-Guyana pacer Roddy Lovell, joined the powerfully built left-handed Zandon Rose, who got off the mark with a six and together the pair added 94 runs for the third wicket with Rose being the aggressor and Lovell playing some elegant drives.

Nicolas Lovell plays a classy cover drive during his unbeaten 38 yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)

When Rose, who made an entertaining 52 from 61 balls with five fours and a six was bowled by pacer Nicholas Hall at 152-2 the Rising Stars suffered a mini-collapse as three wickets fell in the space of two runs.
Mentore, bowling medium pace, had skipper Elisha Ramdat (0) caught at deep mid-wicket and Earo Benjamin bowled for a duck, next ball to be on a hat-trick and leaving the Rising Stars on 156-4 before Lovell and Rakesh Kellawan (3) saw Essequibo to what many thought was a winning total.
But that was not to be as the vastly improving Essequibo side slipped to their second loss after losing to Demerara in Essequibo.
The other game between Demerara and host Berbice was washed out without a ball being bowled.
The competition continues tomorrow.