Berbice defeated Demerara by three wickets to lift the Guyana Cricket Board’s Inter-County Under-15, 50-over title on Friday at the LBI ground.
In a rain-affected final round contest, Demerara posted 166-7 from the reduced 45 overs. Berbice, chasing a revised target of 171, reached 173-7 from 41.3 overs.
In the other game, also affected by rain at Lusignan, Essequibo romped to a 114-run success over the Select XI to finish as runners-up, leaving 2024 champions Demerara to settle for third.
Berbice played unbeaten, having earlier defeated Essequibo by 26 runs and the Select XI by 19 runs. Runners-up Essequibo lost to Berbice, but bounced back with wins over Demerara by two wickets and the Select XI by 114 runs.
Demerara’s lone victory came against the Select XI by 181 runs, while the Select XI lost all three matches.
Berbice skipper Richard Ramdeholl (left) collects the championship trophy from Shaun Massiah of the Guyana Cricket Board (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
Arif Bacchus the standout performer for Berbice
SUMMARY: Demerara 166-7 from 45 overs (Brandon Henry 34*, Lomar Seecharran 31, Shahid Ramzan 30, Khush Seegobin 26, Makai Dowlin 16; Richard Ramdeholl 2-37, Arif Bacchus 1-16, Rafael McKenzie 1-30) vs Berbice 173-7 from 41.3 overs (Arif Bacchus 33, Arif Marimutoo 32, Nathaniel Ramsammy 29, Richard Ramdeholl 25; Akeem Persaud 2-11, Reyaz Latif 2-31, Makai Dowlin 1-8, Patrice Fraser 1-29)
Arif Bacchus (left) receives his Player-of-the-Match trophy from Anthony D’Andrade of the Guyana Cricket Board (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
Cotton Tree all-rounder Arif Bacchus, who claimed the Man-of-the-Match award in round two, put up another performance to cop the accolade in the crucial clash against Demerara.
The elegant right-hander struck three fours in a top score of 33 from 58 balls, rotating the strike with ease and maximizing on the loose deliveries.
After openers Richard Ramdeholl and Luke Amsterdam were both dismissed with the score on 40, Nathaniel Ramsammy and Arif Marimutoo put on 53 for the third wicket, and Marimutoo and Bacchus added 39 for the fourth wicket to bat Berbice into the ascendancy.
The Demerara players were ecstatic at the dismissal of Richard Ramdeholl (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
Skipper Ramdeholl played some scintillating shots in a classy 25 off 21 balls (5x4s), dominating the opening partnership with Amsterdam, who made eight off 27.
Ramsammy made 29 off 39 (3x4s), Marimutoo 32 off 63 (2x4s) and Tameshwar Deonandan defended well in his 10 off 31 (1×4). Extras were 26.
Bowling for Demerara, Akeem Persaud took 2-11 off three overs, fellow leg-spinner Reyaz Latif picked up 2-31 off nine, while there was one each for Makai Dowlin (1-8) and Patrice Fraser (1-29).
Demerara leg-spinner Reyaz Latif was again impressive with the ball (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Demerara recovered from a top order wobble to post 166-7. Khush Seegobin and Lomar Seecharran added 66 for the first wicket, giving Demerara the early momentum.
Openers Khush Seegobin (left) and Lomar Seecharran added 66 for the first wicket for Demerara (Photos: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
However, Seecharran skied a catch to cover, Nathan Bishop was bowled first ball and Seegobin was run out, all with the score on 66, as Berbice stormed back.
Seecharran made 31 off 53 (5x4s) and Seegobin 26 off 53 (4x4s).
Shahid Ramzan held Demerara middle-order together with another patient knock (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
Shahid Ramzan, who made 51 in round two against Essequibo, made 30 off 60 (2x4s); Makai Dowlin faced 57 balls for his 16, before skipper Brandon Henry provide the ‘death’ over impetus with an unbeaten 34 off 27 (2x4s, 1×6).
Demerara skipper Brandon Henry played some big shots in his 34* (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
Bowling for Berbice, off-spin pair Ramdeholl and Bacchus took 2-37 and 1-16 respectively, both off nine overs each, while fast bowler Rafael McKenzie had 1-30 from nine overs.
Runs for Dowlin as Essequibo brush aside Select XI
SUMMARY: Essequibo 179-8 from 24 overs (Justin Dowlin 55, Jathneil Nurse 29, Bomesh Lall 27; Joshua Thomas 2-43, Tyrese McPherson, Brandon Grimmond and Arif Singh took a wicket each) vs Select XI 65-5 from 24 overs (Junia Dindyal 23*, Zaheer Ramkissoon 14*; Makayah Holmes 2-11, Shazim Mohamed and Jathneil Nurse took a wicket each)
For his 55, Justin Dowlin (left) was named Player-of-the-Match and received his trophy from Shaun Massiah of the Guyana Cricket Board (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
Rain and seepage on the wicket meant the clash between Essequibo and the Select XI was significantly reduced, with both sides allotted 24 overs.
Essequibo went on the offensive, blasting 179-8 with opener Justin Dowlin hitting 55, becoming only the third player to score a half-century in the competition, joining Ramzan and his Demerara teammate Prosper Jacobus.
Jathneil Nurse made 29 and Bomesh Lall 27, as left-arm ‘chinaman’ bowler Joshua Thomas took 2-43, while there was one each for Tyrese McPherson, Brandon Grimmond and Arif Singh.
The Essequibo team finished second in the tournament
Select XI reached 65-5 when the overs finished with Junia Dindyal and Zaheer Ramkissoon unbeaten on 23 and 14 respectively.
Makayah Holmes took 2-11, while Shazim Mohamed and Nurse took a wicket each.
Essequibo skipper Jathneil Nurse (left) receives the runner-up trophy from Anthony D’Andrade of the Guyana Cricket Board (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
This tournament is being used by the National Junior Selection Panel of the Guyana Cricket Board to select the Guyana team to compete in the Cricket West Indies’ Rising Stars Regional Under-15 Championship 2025 in Antigua in April.
Most runs
Brandon Henry (Demerara)- 92
Shahid Ramzan (Demerara)- 91
Arif Bacchus (Berbice)- 89
Justin Dowlin (Essequibo)- 87
Half-centuries were scored by Justin Dowlin of Essequibo (55) and Demerara pair Prosper Jacobus (53*) and Shahid Ramzan (51)
Brandon Henry (left) scored the most runs in the competition- 92 (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
Most wickets
Reyaz Latiff (Demerara)- 9
Joshua Thomas (Berbice)- 9
Richard Ramdeholl (Berbice)- 8
Reyaz Latif produced the best bowling figures of the tournament, 7-20 against the Select XI at Lusignan. It was the only five-wicket haul of the competition.
The joint-leading wicket-takers Joshua Thomas (left) and Reyaz Latif. They both captured nine wickets (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/February 28, 2025)
Match results
February 25: Demerara vs Select XI at Lusignan (Demerara won by 181 runs)
February 25: Berbice vs Essequibo at LBI (Berbice won by 26 runs)
February 26: Demerara vs Essequibo at LBI (Essequibo won by two wickets)
February 26: Berbice vs Select XI at Lusignan (Berbice won by 19 runs)
February 28: Berbice vs Demerara at LBI (Berbice won by three wickets)
February 28: Essequibo vs Select XI at Lusignan (Essequibo won by 114 runs)
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