Demerara, led by another responsible innings from captain Travis Dowlin, ended the first day of their final-round Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Senior Inter-County four-day match against Berbice at the Police Sports Club ground on 296-5.
Dowlin, 64 not out, arrived at the wicket with his team 162-4 after losing the wickets of opener Shemroy Barrington (18), Rajendra Chandrika (59), Leon Johnson (06) and Steven Jacobs (57).
Dowlin then added 41 runs for the fifth wicket with Krishna Deosarran (39) and a further unbeaten 93 for the sixth wicket with Chris Barnwell who is not-out on 38.
Earlier, Demerara lost the toss and was invited to take first strike on a low and uneven wicket.
Openers Chandrika and Barrington posted 49 runs for the first wicket before Barrington went via the lbw route to the Berbice captain Esaun Crandon.
He faced 39 balls and struck three fours during his 56- minute stay at the wicket.
West Indies under-19 captain Jacobs then joined fellow Windies youth selectee Chandrika and together they posted 65 runs for the second wicket, carrying their team to 99-1 at lunch.
Chandrika brought up his 50 with a flick through midwicket off the bowling of Devendra Bishu for two and at lunch he was on 55 and Jacobs on 22.
However, Chandrika lost his wicket in the fourth over after play resumed also via the lbw route to off-spinner Imran Jafferally.
He attempted to sweep a low full toss and made no contact after batting for 122 minutes, facing 95 balls and striking nine fours for his 59.
Johnson, the former Guyana and West Indies under-19 captain joined Jacobs, but did not last long as after attempting to sweep at a previous delivery from Devendra Bishu and not making any contact, repeated the same shot at the next delivery but only succeeded in getting struck on the left ankle. Johnson faced 10 balls for six runs during his 11-minute stay at the wicket.
Demerara was suddenly 125-3 six overs after the
resumption of play after the lunch break.
Former under-19 opener Deosarran joined Jacobs and saw latter post his 50 with a wonderful front foot drive off the Bishu that sped away back along the ground for four.
Jacobs faced 92 balls and counted five fours and an effortless six over long on also off Bishu.
However, the bowler had last laugh when he bowled Jacobs with a delivery that kept low, defining the nature of the pitch.
He faced 102 balls during his 121-minute stay at the wicket belting five fours and the lone six.
At his demise, Demerara, who are looking for an outright win to cart off the championship trophy were 162-4.
It was at this stage that Deosarran and Dowlin began the repair work for their team.
Their running was purposeful as was their batting which helped to create a few problems for Crandon and his team.
Unlike the Berbice/ Essequibo match when the Essequibians made a mistake which allowed Berbice to take the initiative, it was the pitch that contributed to the demise of the Demerara batsmen as Dowlin and Deosarran led their team to 202-4 at tea, with Dowlin 19 and Deosarran 38. After looking well set for a big score, Deosarran got one from Permaul that also kept low and was adjudged lbw in the second over after the tea break.
In fact, four of the wickets fell via the lbw route.
Deosarran faced 87 balls and struck six fours in 98 minutes adding 41 runs to his team’s total. Barnwell, a former national under-19 all-rounder joined club-mate Dowlin and together they too set about repairing the damage done by the Berbicians.
Dowlin dealt severely with his opponents and treated Permaul with scant respect. In one over from the left arm orthodox bowler, Dowlin struck him over his head for four and then hit the next delivery inside out over extra cover for a six, a shot that some called ‘the shot of the day’. He raised his 50 by guiding fast-bowler Jeremy Gordon through the slip region to the third man boundary. Gordon was bowling a tight line outside the off stump when Dowlin, rubbing salt into the wound drove the next delivery through mid on for another boundary.
Barnwell was not to be outdone, hitting Permaul through the cover region for four and then Bishu through midwicket where Richard Ramdeen attempted to make a catch out of it, but watched on helplessly as the ball went under him and into the boundary for four.
As close of play ap-proached, both batsmen were watchful and, at the close Dowlin was on 64 from 139 balls, hitting nine fours and one six during his 178- minute stay at the wicket. In 112 minutes, Barnwell struck five fours from 72 balls for an unbeaten 38.
Bowling for Berbice, Bishu has so far taken 2-97 from 26 overs, Permaul 1-37 from 11, Jafferally 1-54 from 20 and Crandon 1-62 from 15. Demerara will be looking for a score of 450-500 in order to achieve an unlikely victory and the championship trophy. Play continues today from 10.am. The match was played at the Police Sports Club Ground at Eve Leary.
