Essequibo’s under-17 team currently contesting the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Clico-sponsored under-17 inter-county two-day tournament will be looking to redeem themselves when they face defending champions Berbice at the Rose Hall Canje ground from today.
After going under to Demerara by 10 wickets in their first round encounter, the Cinderella county lads will certainly be looking for a much better performance, especially on the relatively unknown Canje batting track.
To complicate matters they will be without the services of Shaun Garraway who aggravated a shoulder injury he picked up earlier while batting in the first innings against Demerara and will be out of action for six weeks.
This means that their batting, which is now centered on wicketkeeper/batsman Herrell Greene, who made 71 against Demerara, will certainly have to click if they are to compete against a Berbice bowling attack that is centered on national under-19 fast bowler Keon Joseph, arguably the fastest youth bowler in the country.
While coach Vibert Johnson did state prior to the Demerara match that his team’s strength lay in the batting department, this has not been evident as they were blown away by Guyana and West Indies right-arm, under-15 leg-spinner Amir Khan along with fast bowlers Seon Daniels and Andre Stoll who do not have Joseph’s pace.
Opener Jermaine Hohenkirk along with Ravendra Mohabir, captain Dwayne Singh, Rovi Harris and Greene himself will all have to show up to the party if they are to not only contend with Joseph, but the other Berbice bowlers including national under-15 player Joemal La Fleur, Sharmindra Hardyal, Trinson Carmichael and Verapen Permaul, younger brother of national left-arm orthodox bowler Veerasammy Permaul.
The Cinderella county bowlers did not have a bad day in the field against Demerara as they defended their paltry first innings score of 134 right down to the last over of the mandatory 65 overs per innings restrictions.
But with batsmen of the calibre of captain Harrinarine Chattergoon, Dominique Ricky, La Fleur, Clinton Pestano, Andrew Dennis and Jamally Odle, just to name a few, Anthony Adams who got the first hat-trick at this level and ended with a five-wicket haul in Demerara’s first innings, Rensford Beaton, Rowell Cornelius and Singh will be hoping to repeat the same first innings bowling performance that they had against Demerara.
Action in this encounter gets underway from 10:00hrs.
