A belligerent century from skipper Christopher Barnwell, led defending champions Demerara to a massive 124-run win over Essequibo yesterday in the first match of the 2103 Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Pepsi senior inter-county one day tournament at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda.
Barnwell, who was later adjudged man-of-the-match, slammed a brutal 101 which was decorated with 10 fours and five huge sixes.
He then returned to pick up two wickets bowling for Demerara.
After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Demerara amassed a mammoth 322 for 8 off their allotted 50 overs. Opener Trevon Griffith (48) took the fight to the opposition, smashing four boundaries off the first over, but was dismissed after handling the ball.
His opening partner Robin Bacchus (3) was trapped lbw off the bowling of fast bowler Gilford Moore while Rajendra Chandrika (39) looked solid and well set on his way to a half-century before he was removed and Shemroy Barrington registered a first ball duck after being removed by left-arm spinner Herry Greene.
However, Barnwell and Vice-captain Steven Jacobs set about reviving the innings which was hanging at 107 for 4. The two provided a platform for Demerara adding 32 for the fifth wicket as Barnwell, the more aggressive of the two, hammered the spinners for boundaries and maximums, taking the score to 124 for 4 at the half-way mark.
Jacobs soon fell for 14 off the bowling of opposing skipper Rayon Fredericks.Wicket-keeper Derwin Christian came to the crease and, along with his skipper; the two DCC players put the opposition bowlers to the sword.
Barnwell brought up his half-century with a straight six, one of two that he smashed of the bowling of Jason Heyliger while Christian was given a life after he was dropped by wicketkeeper Kevon Boodie in the 34th over.
The first over of the power play brought up the team’s 200 and yielded 18 runs. A few shots went over the ropes and onto the busy streets of Georgetown. After a partnership of 87 between the two, Christian was dismissed for 26.
At 232 for 6, Barnwell continued his merry way carving the opposition bowlers for boundaries taking himself well within reach of a century. The team’s 250 mark came up in the 42nd over and Barnwell reached the first century of the tournament, off 83 balls with a shot through mid-wicket.
After his breath taking century, he was bowled by Heyliger for 101 and given a competitive send off by the bowler. But with his team solid on 261 for 7, fast bowler Paul Wintz (23) and a cameo from all-rounder Zaheer Mohamed-Shadir (49) saw the innings gain some late momentum with some lusty blows.
Greene was the pick of the bowlers snapping up 2 for 38 from his 10 overs while Dillon Heyliger was the most expensive of the lot, conceding 49 runs from just four overs with no wickets. His brother Jason picked up 2 for 66 and Moore and Vishwanauth Lall grabbed one each.
Chasing an imposing total for what would be an upset victory, Essequibo were rattled out for 198 in 43.3 overs. Openers Boodie (59) and Fredericks (24) got off to a decent start, as the skipper punched a couple of picture perfect boundaries through the point area to get his innings underway.
Soon after playing some wonderful shots, the skipper was removed by left-arm fast bowler Andre Stoll as he popped a catch to Barrington at mid-wicket, leaving the score at 40 for 1.
The team’s half-century mark came up in the 10th over, which also saw some crunching shots being played off Stoll’s bowling by Boodie. However, Barnwell got his man and his revenge when he knocked the stumps of Jason Heyliger (1) out of the ground and returned the favour by giving him the appropriate send off send off.
Boodie was bowled by Jacobs in the 12th over, leaving the Essequibo boys reeling at 64 for 3.
The other Heyliger brother, Dillon (5), was trapped lbw by Barnwell who had now removed both siblings.
The dismissal of Vijay Surujpaul (0) followed as he was trapped lbw in the first over bowled by off-spinner Amir Khan.
A 90-run repair job done by Lall (59) and Kemo Paul (51) saw Essequibo chalking up their century mark in the 21st over. Paul and Lall steadied the ship and played within themselves, by sensibly milking one’s and two’s, while squeezing in the occasional boundary.
Lall brought up his 50 in the 28th over, with a straight six back over the bowler’s head out of the ground after taking a liking to Mohamed’s slow bowling. He was eventually caught by Bacchus in the deep, but not before stroking four boundaries and three sixes in his vital innings.
Adams (0) was then caught by wicketkeeper Christian off the part-time bowling of Griffith, while Alexander (7) and Greene (5), had their stays short lived.
Paul continued his innings and eventually brought up his patient half-century from 84 balls with five fours and a six. He then departed after being caught by Rajendra Chandrika off the bowling off Khan while Moore was left stranded on 0.
Barnwell was the most successful bowler claiming 2 for 16 while Jacobs, Khan and Mohamed grabbed two wickets each and Stoll and Griffith one each.
Demerara who are now at the top of the table with 6 points, 4 after winning and 2 after posting 300 runs or more and successfully defending it, will look to continue their winning ways when they take on Berbice at the Bourda ground today. The match commences at 9:00hrs.
