A Man-of-the-Match performance from all rounder Ravindra Dasrat guided Berbice to an eight-wicket victory over Essequibo at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground, yesterday in the Guyana Cricket Board/Castrol-sponsored U-15 tournament.
With the win the Berbicians avenged their 61-run defeat of the previous day and set up an interesting final week-end matches against defending champions Dem-erara.
Dasrat, who opened the bowling with Bisham Deolall, took 3-12 from five overs of steady medium pace, to help rout the Cinderella County for a paltry 61 from 35.1 overs in overcast conditions. He was supported by Deolall who picked up 3-18 and Gudakesh Motie 3-10.
Dasrat returned with the bat to score a patient 14 in his team’s score of 60-2 from 25.3 overs.
Earlier, Essequibo, who had also triumphed by 61 runs the previous day, slumped to 26-5 in the ninth over.
Openers Vijay Surujpaul (01) and Fabian Durant (02) were removed with only 10 runs on the board.
Both batsmen were dismissed by Deolall while Dasrat removed Fizal Karim (01), Adams (09) and Herry Greene (00) in the space of four overs to leave Essequibo shakily placed.
A short shower sent the players scampering off the field with Essequibo 34-5 in the 16th over with Mark Gonsalves (06) and Ravindra Persaud (03), at the wicket.
Play resumed 57 minutes later and the two batsmen extended their partnership to 27 from 16.2 overs, the highest of the innings, before Persaud was run out by Linden Austin at mid on attempting a cheeky single off Shalindra Shameer in the 25th over.
It was all downhill for Essequibo after that as none of the other batsmen offered any resistance to the bowling of left-arm spinner Motie.
Gonsalves was unbeaten on nine at the close.
Extras top scored with 23 for Essequibo.
Needing to score 60 runs from 46 overs on the Duckworth/Lewis system Berbice lost Trevor Thomas who was adjudged lbw to Mark Tyrell (01) at the end of the second over.
Jamal Henry struck two fours over mid on off the bowling of
Mark Tyrell and Vijay Surujpaul before he was forced to retire hurt two minutes before lunch suffering from stomach pains.
After lunch, Berbice cantered to victory even though they lost Dasrat, who was caught at backward square off the bowling of Surujpaul with victory a mere two runs away.
Kevin Ramdeen, 18 not out and Motie saw their team to victory with Motie hitting Greene down to long off for a single to seal the win in 25.3 overs.
