WEST Demerara closed the opening day of their fifth round Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Jaguars Franchise League Three-day tournament at 165-2, with Tagnarine Chanderpaul unbeaten on 94 and Akshaya Persaud on 49, replying to Georgetown’s first-innings total of 170, yesterday at the Lusignan Community Centre ground.
The duo shared an unbroken third-wicket stand of 125, after they were reduced to 40-2. The left-handed Chanderpaul has so far played a measured innings, inclusive of two fours and five sixes, while his skipper reached the boundary on six occasions, as West Demerara are just five runs adrift from their opponents’ first-innings total.
Earlier, the City batsmen fell to careless strokes, after they won the toss and chose to bat on a two-pace wicket.
Off-spinner Richie Looknauth (4-34) and pacer Romario Shepherd (3-56) were the chief destroyers.
West Demerara grabbed an early advantage after their bowlers reduced Georgetown to 112-8 at lunch and it took them another hour in the second session to pack them off.
Although spinners are expected to dominate on a dry surface, it was Shepherd who tore into the Georgetown top order.
Georgetown were left wobbling from ball one after Shepherd bowled opener Robin Bacchus without scoring.
Shepherd and Mahendra Dhanpaul caused the early damage with some accurate pace bowling.
The pair reduced Georgetown to 30-3, with Dhanpaul removing Sunil Singh, caught at the wicket for 16.
Shepherd, bowling with pace and variety, then had Christopher Barnwell also caught at the wicket for two.
Andrew Lyght Jr played cautiously for 112 minutes, before the spinners created more problems for the city team.
Jahran Byron was the first to be dismissed, caught at the wicket off Yutesh Dhanpaul for 17 before Lyght Jr was removed by fellow off-spinner Richie Looknauth for 47.
Dextor Solomon was bowled by Shepherd for 12 before Ronaldo Alimohamed created a double blow by Looknauth, who removed (10) and Gajanan Sukanana (0).
After the lunch interval Devon Lord and Kellon Carmichael forged a superb 59-run alliance, with the latter dismissed for 40, and Lord contributed 18.
However, both were removed by Looknauth and Keshram Seyhodan respectively.
West Dem then lost Ronlado Renee (0), and Safraz Esan (21), before the tea interval, at 40-2, with left-arm seamer Andre Stoll and Sukanana, the wicket-takers.
However, Chanderpaul and Persaud survived the remaining overs before tea and then batted the entire final session without much difficulty.
Meanwhile, summarised scores from the other three matches are as follows:
At Port Mourant: Upper Corentyne declared with their score at 206-9. Skipper Rajiv Ivan stroked 93. He was well supported by Kevlon Anderson who made 33, playing his first match of the competition. Bowling for Essequibo, Kevin Gordon had 3-41 while Anthony Adams also had 3-46.
Essequibo in reply were 99-4 at the close with Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 21 and Ricardo Adams on 1. Eon Hooper has so far taken 2-24.
At Enterprise: West Berbice won the toss and decided to bat. They were led by Kayron Fraser who scored a century batting at number 10 as he led West Berbice to a formidable 407-9 at the close.
He is on 120 not out while Collis Butts is on 34 not out. Andrew Dutchin earlier made 71 while opener Avinash Sewkarran chipped in with 50. Bowling for East Bank, Steven Jacobs and Arshaad Ali has so far taken 3-99 and 2-39 respectively.
At Albion: East Coast Demerara posted 277 all out on the back of Chandrapaul Hemraj’s 91. Guyana youth Under-19 all-rounder Bhaskar Yadram stroked a composed 71. Lower Corentyne in reply closed on 70-1 with the in-form Jonathan Foo not out on 36 and Surujnarine Kandasammy on 27.
Play continues today beginning at 09:30hrs in all matches.
