Drepaul bowls Demerara to 54-run victory

Sauid Drepaul

By Marlon Munroe
Essequibo went under to Demerara yesterday by 54 runs in their match of the El Dorado Inter-County competition at the Anna Regina Community Development Centre ground despite a fighting half century opening stand from brothers Norman and Royan Fredericks.

  Norman  Fredericks
Norman Fredericks

Chasing 248 after Demerara scored 247-9 off their allotted 50 overs Essequibo, despite a gutsy 79-run first wicket partnership by the siblings, were dismissed for 193.

Demerara owed their eventual total to Rajendra Chandrika and Leon Johnson who each made 41 and to a lesser extent Steven Jacobs who contributed an aggressive 36.

When Essequibo batted, Norman Fredericks punished all the Demerara bowlers with his aggressive stroke play in the top score of 41 while younger brother Royan provided fine support with an innings of 27.

Royan Fredericks was given a life when he was put down by Christopher Barnwell at the sweeper position when he was on 20 and the score on 63.

Norman Fredericks, though, virtually threw his wicket away when he timidly chipped a Sauid Drepaul delivery to Ramnaresh Sarwan at midwicket.

His knock was decorated with four fours and a six and shortly afterwards, Royan was bowled by Drepaul with the score on 80.

Drepaul struck again when he had Mohindra Boodram caught behind by Perry for five.

Heyliger attempted to hit Drepaul out of the attack and hoisted a delivery from the bowler for a six over midwicket.

Sauid Drepaul
Sauid Drepaul

But Drepaul struck back by bowling Yogeshwar Lall for 10.

Wickets continued to fall regularly before Barrington, finishing off Chandrika’s first over, took the last wicket of Jeewan Singh for 30. Heyliger and Narine each scored 22 as, in the end, Essequibo was bowled out for 193 in 46.5 overs.

Extras contributed 22  runs to their cause.

Left arm orthodox bowler Drepaul finished with 5-43 from 10 overs and Jacobs 2-33 from nine.

Earlier, Demerara, sent in to bat in front of a huge gathering mostly made up of school children started well with openers Shemroy Barrington and Chandrika timing the ball sweetly and keeping the scoreboard ticking over.

Barrington, after hitting pacer Trevon Benn over long on for six was dismissed off the very next ball  caught by Trevon Garraway at midwicket for 25  which also included one four.

Chandrika was eventually caught and bowled by Andrew Williams for 41 off 60 balls. He struck six fours.

Johnson and Gajanand Singh took the score past the three figure mark milking the spinners Williams and Ramesh Narine for easy singles.

However Singh was run out by a direct hit from Ramesh Narine at short third man as he attempted a sharp single.

Steven Jacobs was dropped by wicketkeeper Jeewan Singh on six as he attempted an expansive drive off the off-spinner Fredericks but after settling down he hit Garraway for a six over long on and a six straight back overhead off successive balls of the first power play over.

Those boundaries in the 35th over ended the boundary drought since Demerara had last scored a boundary in the 13th over.

Johnson joined the party when he pulled Benn to the midwicket boundary while Jacobs struck a delivery from the same bowler over extra cover for four.

By the time the third power play came around the batsmen were imposing their will on the bowlers.

Johnson struck three fours from 75 balls before holing out to extra cover while Jacobs was caught at third man off Ryan Hercules. Demerara skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan batting at number eight scored a run-a-ball 29. Hercules finished with three wickets, Benn with two while Narine, Williams and Fredericks ended with one apiece.  Essequibo was penalized for a slow over rate and was required to score 248 from 47 overs.

Hercules captured 3-30 and Benn 2-48.