Demerara defeat GT&T Berbice to claim title

TIMES INT'L

GCB Inter-County Four-Day Tournament –Round 3

By Rajiv Bisnauth

The winning Demerara team pose with GCB’s Anand Sanasi and Dru Bahadur (Photo: Rajiv Bisnauth)
The winning Demerara team pose with GCB’s Anand Sanasi and Dru Bahadur (Photo: Rajiv Bisnauth)

After reclaiming the one-day title two weeks ago, Demerara beat GT& T Berbice by four wickets at the Everest Cricket Club ground in the final round of the Guyana Cricket Board Inter-County Four-Day tournament Wednesday to reclaim that title.
Chasing a meager target of 79 for victory, Demerara’s batsmen had to struggle to reach the target off 38 overs.
Resuming on 185 for 9, GT& T Berbice batsmen Gudekash Motie-Kanahai and Keon Joseph carried the total to 200 in 80.2 overs before leg spinner Amir Khan removed Joseph for 15.
The pair survived 8.2 overs in the opening session with Motie-Kanahai remaining unbeaten on 13.
Khan finished with 3-68. Off spinner Zaheer Mohamed, on the penultimate day, claimed 5-27.
In their run chase, the Demerara team stumbled at the beginning, losing the wickets of skipper Rajendra Chandrika without scoring, Robin Bacchus, 10, and Shemroy Barrington, 8, to reach 26 for 3.
Clinton Pestano gave GT& T Berbice the first breakthrough when he scalped the crucial wicket of Chandrika of a return catch in his first over and Demerara, yet to score.
Pestano struck again in his third over by shattering the wood-work of Bacchus at 15 for 2 while Barrington was runout trying to steal a quick single.
Chanderpaul Hemraj, who was put down on eight, and Vishal Singh steadied the hosts’ chase by rotating the strike. However, with pressure mounting, Hemraj unleashed a stunning counter-attack on Motie-Kanahai to steer the total past 50. He first hit the left- arm spinner to the midwicket fence for six and then followed up with two boundaries in the same over.
At lunch the hosts were 56-3 off 25 overs; Hemraj was on 27 while Singh had six.
Upon resumption, Demerara lost three wickets in quick succession. Motie-Kanahai removed Singh for 8, Hemraj for 33 and Zaheer Mohamed for five as the score slipped to 74 for 6.
With five runs needed, Shaquille Williams and Joseph Perry guided their team to victory without further trouble. Motie-Kanahai finished with 3-21 while Pestano had 2-16. At the presentation ceremony after the game, Demerara collected Gy$ 200,000 for their win and the winning trophy.

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