Demerara and Essequibo locked in tight battle

By Marlon Munroe

Essequibo and Demerara were locked in a tight battle at the end of the second day’s play of the Guyana Cricket Board four-day Inter-County cricket competition at the Anna regina Community Development Centre ground yesterday.

Earlier,  Essequibo took first innings points reaching 203 all out  in reply to Demerara’s 119 all out with Delon Heyligar making a valiant 81.
However, by the close of play Demerara battled back to clear their 84-run deficit reaching 168-4 from 58 overs.

They are  now 84 runs ahead with Ramnaresh Sarwan not out on 46 and  Christopher Barnwell not out on 23.

Essequibo, resuming on 109-4 yesterday morning continued to play positively in the first session with the 19-year-old Heyligar controlling the pace of the innings and night-watchman Trevon Garraway providing the required support.

Sensible batting and good communication were the hallmarks of their 49-run partnership that lasted for 73 minutes from 100 balls.

In the eighth over Heyligar stroked Steven Jacobs through forward square leg for four and then glided the next delivery to short third man for a single to equal the score. Heyligar then brought up his half century with a six by hitting off-spinner Jacobs over wide long-on and it included four boundaries and two sixes from 119 minutes and faced 110 balls.

However in the 16th over of the day Garraway played on to a Troy Gonsalves delivery and was dismissed for 13.

Shortly after, Heyliger was dropped at mid-off by Shemroy Barrington off the bowling of Leon Scott.

He was then on 71 and the score on 159.

Skipper Ramesh Narine played a brief cameo of  21 that included four audacious boundaries from 15 balls but was beautifully caught by Barrington at leg slip off off-spinner Zaheer Mohammed.

Mohammed then returned to trap Lennox Andrews for a duck at 183-7.
Heyliger brought up Essequibo’s 200 when he hit Mohammed back over his head for four in the last over before lunch. They went to lunch on 203-7 with Heyliger on 81 and Andrew Williams on nine with 28 overs completed and 84 runs added at the end of the first session.

Upon resumption, the second over reaped dividends as Heyligar was stumped by wicketkeeper Jason Perry for 81 off the leg spinner Gonsalves with no addition to the lunch time score. His innings lasted for 223 minutes, and he  faced 171 balls striking seven sparkling boundaries and two mighty sixes.

Mohamed then completed his five wicket haul when he had Williams and Trevor Benn caught by Johnson at forward short leg for nine and zero runs respectively to end Essequibo’s innings on 203 from 75.3 overs and a lead of 84 runs. Extras contributed 15 to the total.
Mohammed ended with figures of 19.3-4-37-5, Barnwell 17-4-43-2, Gonsalves 19-4-38-2 and Jacobs 11-1-28-1.

In Demerara’s second innings their stylish opener Barrington imposed his authority on the bowling while Rajendra Chandrika provided great support. Barrington hoisted Garraway for six back over his head and then cut him through the covers the next ball for four.
But Garraway was vindicated in the ninth over when he had Barrington brilliantly caught at mid off by Ramesh Narine for 30.
In the following over, the other destroyer of Demerara’s first innings Benn trapped Chandrika for six without any addition to the score.
Krishna Deosarran and former West Indies One-day batsman Johnson eased their team to tea on 71-2 but in the second over after tea Adams got the breakthrough when he had Johnson caught at first slip by Heyligar for 13. Demerara captain  Sarwan started elegantly with a drive through the covers followed by a pull over midwicket whilst Deosarran followed suit when he hit Adams for six over long-on.

Sarwan upped the scoring rate with the steady turning over of the strike as Demerara reached their hundred in 55 minutes in 112 minutes.

The two brought up their half century stand in 49 minutes from 76 balls which included six boundaries and a maximum.
Then Deosarran (36) attempted an ambitious cut shot only for the ball to kiss the underedge of the bat on its way through to wicketkeeper Andrews off the bowling of Garraway in his second spell. He batted for 106 minutes, faced 66 balls and struck  four fours and a six.
Sarwan was dropped on 34 by Yogeshwar Lall at gully off the bowling of Garraway when the score was 130. He and Barnwell launched a spirited partnership that that consisted of exotic stroke play and positive running between the wickets until Barnwell was almost run out towards the close.
Garraway has so far taken two wickets and  Benn and Narine one each.
Essequibo and Demerara were locked in a tight battle at the end of the second day’s play of the Guyana Cricket Board four-day Inter-County cricket competition at the Anna regina Community Development Centre ground yesterday.

Earlier,  Essequibo took first innings points reaching 203 all out  in reply to Demerara’s 119 all out with Delon Heyligar making a valiant 81.
However, by the close of play Demerara battled back to clear their 84-run deficit reaching 168-4 from 58 overs.
They are  now 84 runs ahead with Ramnaresh Sarwan not out on 46 and  Christopher Barnwell not out on 23.
Essequibo, resuming on 109-4 yesterday morning continued to play positively in the first session with the 19-year-old Heyligar controlling the pace of the innings and night-watchman Trevon Garraway providing the required support.

Sensible batting and good communication were the hallmarks of their 49-run partnership that lasted for 73 minutes from 100 balls.
In the eighth over Heyligar stroked Steven Jacobs through forward square leg for four and then glided the next delivery to short third man for a single to equal the score. Heyligar then brought up his half century with a six by hitting off-spinner Jacobs over wide long-on and it included four boundaries and two sixes from 119 minutes and faced 110 balls.

However in the 16th over of the day Garraway played on to a Troy Gonsalves delivery and was dismissed for 13.
Shortly after, Heyliger was dropped at mid-off by Shemroy Barrington off the bowling of Leon Scott.
He was then on 71 and the score on 159.

Skipper Ramesh Narine played a brief cameo of  21 that included four audacious boundaries from 15 balls but was beautifully caught by Barrington at leg slip off off-spinner Zaheer Mohammed.
Mohammed then returned to trap Lennox Andrews for a duck at 183-7.
Heyliger brought up Essequibo’s 200 when he hit Mohammed back over his head for four in the last over before lunch. They went to lunch on 203-7 with Heyliger on 81 and Andrew Williams on nine with 28 overs completed and 84 runs added at the end of the first session.
Upon resumption, the second over reaped dividends as Heyligar was stumped by wicketkeeper Jason Perry for 81 off the leg spinner Gonsalves with no addition to the lunch time score. His innings lasted for 223 minutes, and he  faced 171 balls striking seven sparkling boundaries and two mighty sixes.

Mohamed then completed his five wicket haul when he had Williams and Trevor Benn caught by Johnson at forward short leg for nine and zero runs respectively to end Essequibo’s innings on 203 from 75.3 overs and a lead of 84 runs. Extras contributed 15 to the total.
Mohammed ended with figures of 19.3-4-37-5, Barnwell 17-4-43-2, Gonsalves 19-4-38-2 and Jacobs 11-1-28-1.

In Demerara’s second innings their stylish opener Barrington imposed his authority on the bowling while Rajendra Chandrika provided great support. Barrington hoisted Garraway for six back over his head and then cut him through the covers the next ball for four.
But Garraway was vindicated in the ninth over when he had Barrington brilliantly caught at mid off by Ramesh Narine for 30.
In the following over, the other destroyer of Demerara’s first innings Benn trapped Chandrika for six without any addition to the score.
Krishna Deosarran and former West Indies One-day batsman Johnson eased their team to tea on 71-2 but in the second over after tea Adams got the breakthrough when he had Johnson caught at first slip by Heyligar for 13. Demerara captain  Sarwan started elegantly with a drive through the covers followed by a pull over midwicket whilst Deosarran followed suit when he hit Adams for six over long-on.

Sarwan upped the scoring rate with the steady turning over of the strike as Demerara reached their hundred in 55 minutes in 112 minutes.

The two brought up their half century stand in 49 minutes from 76 balls which included six boundaries and a maximum.
Then Deosarran (36) attempted an ambitious cut shot only for the ball to kiss the underedge of the bat on its way through to wicketkeeper Andrews off the bowling of Garraway in his second spell. He batted for 106 minutes, faced 66 balls and struck  four fours and a six.
Sarwan was dropped on 34 by Yogeshwar Lall at gully off the bowling of Garraway when the score was 130. He and Barnwell launched a spirited partnership that that consisted of exotic stroke play and positive running between the wickets until Barnwell was almost run out towards the close.
Garraway has so far taken two wickets and  Benn and Narine one each.