GCB/CGI 3-day Franchise League… E’bo looking to widen gap at the top as 5th round starts tomorrow

Sep 28, 2017 Sports, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...und-starts-tomorrow/

By Sean Devers

After four rounds of the GCB/CGI three-day Franchise League, the fifth round starts tomorrow from 09:00 hrs with Essequibo leading from the inception with three victories and a washed out match.
With three rounds remaining West Berbice before their last round three-wicket win over East Coast were dead last but now they aim to begin a winning streak which leaves all eight teams with a chance to win the title in the second three-day Franchise season.
Those players selected to play in the Antigua Independence tri-nation T20 tournament which includes the hosts and Jamaica, will miss the sixth round which starts on October 6.
West Berbice’s line-up includes left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 39 scalps including four five-wicket hauls. Motie is a virtual one-man army for his team but their batting have remained impotent.
However, 19-year-old Test batman Shimron Hetymer, in his first match since his return from England did what was expected by someone who comes back to a lower level.
The first Young Warriors member to play Test cricket, stamped his authority with an authoritative 114 to spur West Berbice to their first win.
With Hetymer and Motie available for the sixth round and leaders Essequibo without Ricardo Adams, Kemo Paul and Ronsford Beaton due to national duties, West Berbice will fancy their chances going forward. This makes tomorrow’s round very important for teams who will be affected by the Antigua tournament.
In the last round, Essequibo beat Georgetown by three wickets at Tuschen, Lower Corentyne defeated East Bank by 114 runs in Cumberland,West Berbice got past East Coast by three wickets at Bush Lot andWest Demerara drew with Upper Corentyne at Port Mourant.
Those results mean that Essequibo maintain their lead with 56.3 points followed by West Demerara on 43.7. Lower Corentyne is third, while Upper Corentyne is in the fourth position.
Tomorrow, Essequibo face Upper Corentyne at Port Mourant, West Berbice oppose East Bank at Bush Lot, East Coast battle Lower Corentyne at Lusignan and West Demerara take on Georgetown at Tuschen.
Georgetown will be led Nactional Captain Leon Johnson who will hope that Chris Barnwell converts his good starts into hundreds and that opener Robin Bacchus and West Indies U-19 selectee Raymond Perez give them a good foundation.
Jamaican leggie Ramaal Lewis, Gajanand Suknanan and Steven Sankar could do the bulk of the bowling against a West Demerara team which includes Bajan Raymond Reifer who made two fifties in the last round, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, whose 176 is the highest score in the tournament, Akshaya Persaud, one of three centurions in the last round and 20-year-old All-rounder Romario Shepherd.
Apart from pacers Reifer and Shepherd, Richie Looknauth is maturing into a good off-spinner while left-arm spinner Kesram Seyhodan should enjoy the Tuschen track.
Anthony Adams has three five-wicket hauls and a century (137) while Ricardo Adams with two tons and Savory are the other centurions for Essequibo who also has Kemol Savory and Kevin Boodie and has produced one of the better batting line-ups this season even without their most experienced batsman Shiv Chanderpaul, who is participating in the English County cricket.
The unrelated Adams (Anthony and Ricardo), Joshua Jones, Paul and possible Beaton, who missed the last round due to injury, gives Essequibo a balanced bowling attack as they face Upper Corentyne with Anthony Bramble, Rajiv Ivan, David Latchaya, Kevin Sinclair, Shawn Pereira, Clinton Pestano and Balchand Baldeo on a Port Mourant track that’s good for batting.
Test batsman Rajendra Chandrika, Brian Sattaur, Chanderpaul Hemraj and Bhaskar Yadram, one of nine centurions after four rounds will be a part of a strong East Coast batting line-up while Yadram, Amir Khan and pacer Cordel Mars could do the bulk of the bowling at Lusignan.
CPL players Gajanand Singh and Jonathon Foo are back after missing the last round and with Seon Hetymer, Waheid Edwards, Devon Clements and the pair of Guyana youth players Alex Algoo and Kevlon Anderson, who certainly looks one for the future, Lower Corentyne’s batting is strong.
Spinners Kasim Khan and Veerasammy Permaul, one of 14 bowlers to take 19 five-wicket hauls so far, should do the bulk of the bowling for L/Corentyne who also have Raun Johnson and Nial Smith, two of only four pacers with five-wicket hauls.
At Bush Lot, 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 third round, Sachin Singh, Mark Robe, Darshan Persaud, Steven Jacobs, Renaldo Ali-Mohammed and Ershad Ali.
Rutherford, Keon Morris, Jacobs, Ali, Totaram Bishun and Ali-Mohammed will take care of the East Bank bowling while West Berbice will depend heavily on Motie and Hetymer and will hope that Arthley Bailey and Avishkar Sewkarran contribute with the bat.