Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 07, 2008 Sports
By Sean Devers at Enterprise
A responsible 71 from Wicketkeeper Herell Greene and a hat-trick from left arm spinner Anthony Adams led Essequibo’s fight against Demerara on the opening day of their first round CLICO under-17 two-day Inter-County cricket match at the Enterprise ground yesterday.
Greene was virtually a one-man army as he stroked eight fours from 166 balls and 177 minutes as Essequibo, asked to bat on an ideal batting track, reached 134-8 off their allotted first innings 65 overs.
The fifteen-year-old old Adams then struck thrice in three balls in the 36th over to end the day with 3-16 from 18 overs, as Demerara stuttered to 92-5 by the close to set up an intriguing final day battle from 10:00hrs today with the hosts still 43 short of first innings points with 23 overs remaining in the innings.
Greene, a correct 16-year-old right-hander from Queenstown on the Essequibo Coast, batted diligently on the fast outfield and put the bad balls away with confidence before he was deceived by an arm-ball from off-spinner Ricardo Devers and was neatly stumped when 29 away from his maiden ton at this level.
Rowell Cornelius with an unbeaten 18 was the only other batsman to reach double figures as Devers captured 3-28 from 17 overs and got support from fellow spinner Arif Habib (2-26 from 12 overs) after West Indies under-15 leg-spinner Amir Khan (27-7-30-1) had built up the pressure with controlled bowling from the Southern end.
In a competitive but low scoring first day, all of the batsmen except Greene struggled to get the ball away on a fast outfield in sultry conditions.
Essequibo were off to a solid start as Greene and Jermaine Hoenkirk put together 24 in nine overs before fast bowler Seon Daniels trapped Hoenkirk (5) leg before.
Ravindra Mohabir joined Greene who flicked Daniels and drove left-arm pacer Andre Stoll gloriously through cover for boundaries, and the pair posted the 50 in 17 overs against a steady but unpenetrative Demerara attack.
While Greene looked full of potential, playing both the pace and spin with conviction, Mohabir laboured for 53 balls for four runs before he tugged Devers to short mid-wicket at 58-2.
By lunch Essequibo had progressed to 76-2 with Greene unbeaten on 50 from 117 balls, 118 minutes with six fours and the visitors were looking comfortable against an attack which lacked its usual venom although they were not dominating.
Skipper Dwayne Singh, who struggled for 79 balls for his nine runs, ensured the pressure was on Greene to score and with the score on 101 in the 52nd over, he lofted Habib to deep mid off.
Greene, who should have been taken at mid-off by Daniels just before lunch before again being let off by Kamal Ramkissoon off home boy Habib on 60, was well stumped by Skipper Solomon who held Rovi Harris for a duck as Devers struck twice with the score on 102.
Ryan McCall (3) was then run out by a direct hit from Daniels at mid-off four runs later while Habib, who should have had Cornelius on one, got rid of Rensford Beaton (6) to leave Essequibo on 114-7.
With Devers bowling with excellent control from the South and Khan re-introduced to bowl in tandem with him at the death, Essequibo were never allowed to score freely although Cornelius smashed Devers to the cover-boundary in his unfinished innings.
Khan had Adams leg before for four in the final over to complete a good recovery job in the second session by Demerara.
Demerara began their reply with a minimum of 23 overs left in the day and Quincy Ovid dominated a 45-run opening stand with the left-handed Ramkissoon before Ovid was bowled by pacer Beaton. His 32 lasted 49 balls, 61 minutes and was decorated with four slashed boundaries.
Just when he was looking set for a big score the experienced Shameer Fazal (11) offered a ‘soft’ return catch to Singh at 74-2 as Essequibo kept the batsmen in check with disciplined bowling.
With Ramkissoon, who faced 145 balls in his 27 not out struggling to get the ball off the square, Adams struck three body blows when he had Dayanand Roopnarine (3) leg before, trapped Kwame Crosse (0) leg before and bowled Stoll (0) to claim the first hat-trick of the competition and spark wild celebration among the Essequibo fans amongst the good size and raucous crowd.
Ramkissoon was joined by his captain and the pair saw their team safely to the close against an Essequibo team without the services of Shawn Garraway who aggravated his shoulder injury and had to retire hurt on one.
Even without the fast bowling services of Garraway Essequibo enjoyed a very good afternoon session after Demerara were 23-0 at Tea.
Today a lot will depend on the overnight batsmen along with Habib, the last of the specialist batsmen if Demerara are to claim first innings points and try to press for an outright win on a last day track which is expected to keep low and turn today.
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