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Shepherd spurs B’ce to win despite Sampson’s 85
GCB 50-over Inter-County
By Sean Devers
Kaieteur News – In an encounter filled with drama in which 58 minutes were lost due to rain and an eight-minute late start due the late arrival of the Berbice team, Berbice beat Essequibo by 26 runs on D/L/S in the second round of the GCB’s Inter-County 50-over tournament in fading light at Bourda yesterday.
When bad light stopped play at 16:38 hrs off 26 overs, the defending Champions, who needed be at 118-4 at that stage, were 144-4, with Jonathon Foo on 16 and Romario Shepherd unbeaten on 30 from 19 balls with three sixes and two fours.
M-O-M Romario Shepherd had 4-37 before hitting an unbeaten 30. (Sean Devers photo)
With Berbice two runs behind the par score, Shepherd clobbered Ricardo Adams for three sixes just before the Umpires halted proceedings.
Anthony Bramble followed up his 102 on Monday, with 62 from 53 balls with seven fours and eight sixes.
The 27-year-old Left-arm spinner Garfield Phillips removed the ‘big dogs’ Bramble and Shimron Hetymer (9) in the space of 10 runs to finish with 2-16 while there was a wicket each for Ricardo Adams and Skipper Anthony Adams.
Berbice began their innings, hunting the 226 made by Essequibo who were bowled out in 48.3 overs.
A 55-run fifth wicket stand between Kemo Paul, who hit three fours and six in 45 and Eknauth Persaud whose 22 included three boundaries revived the position after a shaky start, while Quentin Sampson, one of six players from the Police Team in the City, launched a brutal attack on the Berbice bowlers, flaying them to all parts of lush green and spongy outfield in an explosive 85 from 65 balls with two and eight sixes.
The pugnacious fast bowling all-rounder shared in a 96 runs partnership with Anthony Adams who made carefully constructed 30 from 60 with two fours and six.
Watched by a vocal gathering Sampson misses a cut at Permaul at Bourda yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)
Man-of-Match Shepherd had 4-37 while off-spinner Kevin Sinclair took 3-35 and Skipper Veerasammy Permaul had 2-7.
Earlier, in blustery conditions, National pacers Shepherd and Nial Smith made the ball ‘talk’ with the balls consistently going past the edge as they reduced Essequibo to 27-4 inside five overs.
Smith, bowling with lively pace, had Kevin Boodie (1) caught behind at 4-1 while Shepherd, getting prodigious swing, removed Kevin Christian (2), Kemol Savory (1) and Ricardo Adams (5).
Garfield Phillips had Hetmyer caught behind for nine yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)
And with Savory, who made a ton in the first round and Boodie who made 92, gone, Essequibo were wobbling on the ropes under cloudy skies.
Paul and Persaud embarked on ‘Operation recovery’ and the fifty was posted in 12.3 overs with Paul, in particular playing some lovely drives.
But with the score on 82, Permaul trapped Persaud LBW as the aggressive Sampson joined Paul who flicked Permaul for six but was caught off the next ball as he tried to repeat the shot at 105-6.
Bramble scored 62 yesterday for Berbice. (Sean Devers Photo)
Anthony Adams played the supporting role as Sampson cut Smith for six over point and hit Shepherd onto the sightscreen before he was taken at deep cover as Shepherd struck at 201-7.
Neiland Cadogan (2), Adams and Haimant Singh (1) were quickly removed by Kevin Sinclair while the other Sinclair (Junior) has not bowled a ball in the tournament as yet despite bowling well for the Warriors in the CPL.
Bramble and Ramnauth added 64 in 11 overs for the first wicket before Ramnauth (12) fell to Anthony Adams.
Bramble, who deposited Ricardo Adams for a six and four in the 10th over which cost 15, reached his fifty from 40 balls with five fours and three sixes but looked uncomfortable against spin.
Watched by large and vocal gathering of Essequibo fans in the Rohan Kanhai stand, Phillips, from theVillage of Arora in Region two, bowled Bramble at 79-2 and the lads from Guyana’s largest County were fighting back much to delight of their fans.
The fans were on their feet when entire team went up in a raucous caught behind appeal off Hetmyer which was given not out. The replays from the GCB’s live streaming of the match, confirmed that the ball had missed the bat.
Hetmyer, who was heckled by sections of crowd, cut Ricardo Adams gloriously for four but seemed uncertain to Phillips who had had him flicking to point before the West Indies left-hander tried to cut at one too close him at 89-3 and was caught behind as Phillips removed the ‘big fish’and when Keven Sinclair (10) hit one to cover off Ricardo Adams, the Essequibo fans went wild with unadulterated joy.
But Foo, on the back of 91 in the first round, and the big hitting Shepherd batted their team to their second victory when the game ended prematurely.
Tomorrow Berbice face the President’s X1 at Bourda, while Essequibo play Demerara at Enmore.
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