Rajendra Chandrika scored his maiden Inter-County century but Demerara were bowled out for 248 in 85.5 overs on the first day of the final round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) four-day competition against Berbice at the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday.
Chandrika played superbly to reach an even 100, which included 10 boundaries, from 161 balls.
He also featured in a 95-run, third-wicket stand with Gajanand Singh who made 39.
Leon Johnson was the other main contributor but he threw his wicket away after a well played innings of 44.
Devendra Bishoo finished with six wickets for 74 runs while Brendon Bess supported with 2-41.
By the end of the day Berbice had reached 29-0 from five overs.
Delbert Hicks and Arthley Bailey are not out on 17 and 10 respectively.
Demerara captain Zaheer Mohammed employed an attacking field with three slips and a gully for pacers Andre Stoll and Chris Barnwell. The left-handed Police pacer, Stoll, was on point at the start of his spell but Barnwell took some stick.
Earlier, in front of a sprinkling of spectators Demerara lost the wickets of Krishna Deosarran (7) and Steven Jacobs (5) with the score on 56 after they were sent in.
However, an enterprising 95-run partnership was birthed between Chandrika, who looked positive from the outset, and Singh, who played the sheet anchor role for his more established partner.
Chandrika took command of proceedings on the hot, breezy day playing his strokes with precision especially the drive down the ground – a shot that brought him regular success.
Singh eventually found his rhythm and he comfortably began to work the ball into the gaps for singles.
Chandrika brought up his half century after facing 83 balls and striking three boundaries in 119 minutes. Shortly after, Demerara went to lunch on 74-2 from 27 overs.
During the post lunch session when the spinners Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul and Royston Crandon operated, the contest was evenly balanced.
Leg-spinner Bishoo, who bowled with more variation, looked the most impressive of the spinners especially when he bowled the odd delivery.
But it was Royston Crandon who drew first blood when he had Singh brilliantly caught by captain Assad Fudadin in the solitary slip position.
Singh’s innings spanned 96 minutes, came from 79 balls and included three boundaries.
When Chandrika played his trademark drive down the pitch against Bishoo he had moved to 99, within one run of the coveted landmark.
He got there off the very next ball, working a delivery to backward square to register his maiden Inter-County century in 220 minutes.
He faced 159 balls and reached the boundary 10 times but was dismissed two deliveries later as he misread a googly from Bishoo, played back and was bowled.
Barnwell came to the crease, hit Permaul over mid off for a boundary, and raised the quality of the running.
But on the stroke of tea he was adjudged lbw to Bishoo for 11 as Demerara went in on 189-5.
Demerara lost Joseph Perry, (coming off an unbeaten 95 in the GCB three-day tournament over the weekend) for seven when the score was 200 and then Troy Gonsalves (who made 84 in the same game) for three when the score was 209.
By this time Johnson had started to assert himself, hitting Bishoo for four over the in-field and six over long-on.
He then pulled him through square leg and was looking set to record a big score when, in one moment of indiscretion he chipped to Bishoo and lobbed an easy catch to Bess at mid off.
He spent 147 minutes at the crease and hit four boundaries and a six in his 113-ball vigil.
Demerara’s innings folded eight runs later when Andre Stoll (0) and Damian Vantull (0) fell victim to Bishoo.
Scoreboard
Demerara innings
R. Chandrika b Bishoo 100
K. Deosarran c Hicks b Bess 7
S. Jacobs b Bess 5
G. Singh c Fudadin b R. Crandon 39
L. Johnson c Bess b Bishoo 44
C. Barnwell lbw Bishoo 11
J. Perry lbw Permaul 7
T. Gonsalves lbw Bishoo 3
Z. Mohammed not out 14
A. Stoll b Bishoo 0
D. Vantull c Fudadin b Bishoo 0
Extras: (b-11, lb-1, nb-6) 18
Total: (all out from 85.5) 248
FOW: 1-47 (Deosarran 16.5), 2-56 (Jacobs 20.1), 3-151 (Singh 44.4), 4-175 (Chandrika 55.2), 5-189 (Barnwell 60), 6-200 (Perry 65), 7-209 (Gonsalves 71.2), 8-240 (Johnson 83.4), 9-248 (Stoll 85.1), 10-248 (Vantull 85.5)
Bowling
E. Crandon 11-5-21-0
B. Bess 9-1-41-2
V. Permaul 25-6-75-1
D. Bishoo 30.5-6-74-6
R. Crandon 10-2-25-1
Berbice innings
D. Hicks not out 17
A. Bailey not out 10
Extras: (lb-2) 2
Total: (from 5 overs) 29
FOW:
Bowling
A. Stoll 2-0-8-0
C. Barnwell 2-0-15-0
S. Jacobs 1-0-4-0
