Demerara Captain Travis Persaud bowled his team to a 16-run win via the Duckworth/Lewis method as they defended a low score against the Under-17 Select XI in yesterday’s rain-affected Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Under-19 50 overs Inter-County tournament which resumed yesterday at the Providence National Stadium.
In a match reduced to 35-overs-per-side due to rain, Persaud grabbed 4-11 to cop the Man-of-the-Match Award.
He along with off-spinner Richie Looknauth (3-13) and pacer Ronaldo AliMohammed (2-26) joined forces to shoot down the U17s for 128 all out in 34.5 overs in pursuit of the 140-8 target.
It was a ruthless bowling approach by the Demerara side who began their assault when seamer Keshram Shabodhan removed opener Bhaskar Yadram for six. Persaud then removed top-scorers Sachin Persaud (27), wicket-keeper Joshua Persaud (18) and Javed Karim (15) as the U17s lost their first four wickets for 77 runs.
Persaud would strike for the final time when he removed Kevin Sinclair Cheaply, caught by Kelvin Shewpersaud for a single run. Looknauth then got into the act and his show began in similar fashion to that of his captain when he removed Kevlon Anderson and Kurt Lovell for ducks, before Alphius Bookie held out to Ronaldo Renee for two.
With the tail exposed, AliMohammed then dismissed Ashmead Nedd (12) and the top-scorer Joshua Jones who dug in before departing for 28, leaving Kevin Umroa stranded not out on one as the innings ended.
Earlier, after rain interrupted play during the morning session when Demerara were sent into bat, the U17’s eventually restricted their opponents below 150 thanks mainly to Anderson who picked up 2-29 from seven overs, left-arm spinner Nedd (2-30) and a wicket each from Sinclair (1-29) and Umroa (1-19).
Demerara’s innings revolved around knocks from opener and top-scorer Raymond Perez who cracked two fours in his 29 while all-rounders AliMohammed thumped a couple of sixes in his 23 and Sherfane Rutherford (16).
