GCB/CGI 3-day Franchise League…Big names are back for 4th round matches, Eeesquibo holds slight lead

Sep 22, 2017 Sports, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...o-holds-slight-lead/

By Sean Devers
Some big names have returned from overseas commitments for the fourth round of the GCB/CGI three-day Franchise League which has Essequibo holding a slim lead on 40.8 points, facing fourth placed Georgetown at Tuschen on the East Bank of Essequibo from 09:30hrs today.
The other three games are set for Berbice with second placed West Demerara, just 2.4 points behind Essequibo playing third placed Upper Corentyne at Port Mourant. Lower Corentyne, sixth on the points table takes on fifth placed East Bank at Cumberland in Canjie with cellar dwellers West Berbice hosting East Coast in a bottom of the table clash at Bush Lot in West Berbice.
Two matches in last round ended inside two days while the game between Georgetown and East Coast was affected by last day showers and ended in draw at Lusignan. A pugnacious unbeaten 108 from 17-year-old West Indies Under-19 skipper Bhaskar Yadram highlighted a dull final day.
The game between Essequibo and East Bank at Everest saw Kemol Savory stroking 136 for the Franchise from the Cinderella County while Sherfane Rutherford responded with 108 and Under-17 left-handed Sachin Singh stroked a classy 99, that game also ended in a draw due to rain.
Today Georgetown will be strengthened with the return of National Captain Leon Johnson who will hope that Chris Barnwell, who led the side with consistent scorers, converts his good starts into hundreds and that opener Robin Bacchus and West Indies U-19 selectee Raymond Perez give them a good foundation.
Spinner, Jamaican Ramaal Lewis, Gajanand Suknanan and Steven Sankar could do the bulk of the bowling against the unbeaten Essequibo which beat Lower Corentyne by 34 runs and West Berbice by 309 runs before their last round draw.
Anthony Adams has three five-wicket hauls and a century (137) while Ricardo Adams and Savory are the other centurions for Essequibo which has produced encouraging batting performances in the early rounds; even without their most experienced batsman Shiv Chanderpaul, who is enjoying a marvellous season in English County cricket.
West Indies pacer Ronsford Beaton will miss this round due to injury and 19-year-old CPL all-rounder Kemo Paul will have to shoulder the pace attack on a track with some bounce but a good one to bat on.
West Berbice’s left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie is the leading wicket taker after three rounds with four five-wicket hauls, including two in the last round but despite his excellent performance he languishes at the bottom of the heap.
Today could be his biggest test since he comes up against Test batsman Rajendra Chandrika, Brian Sattaur, Chanderpaul Hemraj and Yadram, one of seven centurions after three rounds.
West Demerara’s Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s 176 is the highest score so far and today he should enjoy the flat Albion track and hope for support from Tevin Imlach who also scored a hundred against East Bank, Bajan Raymond Reifer, back from his maiden West Indies tour and Romario Shepherd.
Refier, Shepherd and off-spinner Richie Looknauth will be the bowlers to depend on as they face Upper Corentyne with Anthony Bramble, Rajiv Ivan, David Latchaya, Kevin Sinclair, Shawn Perriera and Balchand Baldeo.
In the other match today, Guyana’s latest Test player Shimron Hetymer is back from England but CPL players Gajanand Singh and Jonathon Foo are unavailable since they have left the country due to personal reasons.
However, Lower Corentyne still has Seon Hetymer, Waheid Edwards and the pair of Guyana youth players, Alex Algoo and Kevlon Anderson. Spinners Kasim Khan and Veerasammy Permaul, one of 11 bowlers to take five-wicket hauls so far, should do the bulk of the bowling for Lower Corentyne which also has Raun Johnson, one of only two pacers with five-wicket hauls.
East Bank will depend heavily on Sherfane Rutherford one of the stand out all-rounders with a 12-wicket match haul in the second round and a century in the last round and Sachin Singh, who made 99 in a 136-run stand with Rutherford.
Chanderpaul, Savory, Yadram, Rutherford, Imlach, Ricardo and Anthony have scored centuries after three rounds while Anthony Adams captured 5-12 and 5-35 against West Berbice after taking 6-51 against Lower Corentyne in another match winning performance for the Franchise team from Guyana’s largest County.
Motie took 6-51 and 7-33 in a losing effort against Upper Corentyne, 5-25 and 6-16 in the last round, while Rutherford grabbed 5-11 and 7-48 to help his team beat Georgetown. Permaul (6-49), Looknauth (5-46), Kasim Khan (5-49), Lewis (5-35), Ricardo Adams (5-51), Perriera (6-71) and Raun Johnson (5-70) are the other bowlers with five-wicket hauls.