Cameron’s 4-49 & Hubbard’s 51 highlight day- two action

By Sean Devers

ON a day in which 20 wickets fell, Essequibo ended the second day of their GCB four-day Inter-county first round game at Providence yesterday on 95-3 in their second innings with an overall lead of 190 with seven wickets in hand against the Select X1, going into today’s penultimate day.

National Pacer Demitri Cameron took 4-49 for the Select X1 while Essequibian Malcome Hubbard followed up his unbeaten 51 with 3-25 on a day of substandard batting at this level and in which both teams

Scoreboard

were guilty of slow over rates. When play started 30 minutes late due to overnight rain, Essequibo resumed on 57-3 and quickly slipped to 96-7 with overnight batter Keemo Paul (15) falling to Cameron at 77-4 4 before Ricardo Adams (0) edged Demitri Cameron to second slip without addition to the score while Kemol Savory added four to his first day score before he was bowled by Sylus Tyndall at 83-6.

Cameron, with his trademark gold patch at the front of his hair, struck again when Quinton Sampson (11) was caught at long-leg, hooking at a bouncer to leave Essequibo on 96-7.

Hubbard and Anthony Adams (13) took the score to 134-8 before the latter was LBW to Carlos Larose and when Ronsford Beaton (1) was stumped off Kelvin Umrou at 139-9 it

3-1-20-0, Umroa 8-5-15-1, Ramsammy 2-0-18-0, Rampersaud 1.5-0-18-1 seemed that Malcome Hubbard, who played some lovely shots on the very fast outfield and benefitted from three chances, would be denied his fifty.

But pacer Newland Cadagon had other ideas; not only did he see Hubbard to his half-century, but played an array of brutal shots as the pair added 36 runs in quick time in a frustrating last wicket stand.

Hubbard drove Larose for four and reached his fifty from 73 balls, in 111 minutes with eight boundaries.

Alvin Mohabir and Zeynul Ramsammy were taken to the cleaners as Cadogan clobbered three sixes and four fours in a 30-ball 39 before he was trapped LBW to Jonathan Rampersaud’s second over, leaving Hubbard unbeaten on 51 as Essequibo were all out on the stroke of Lunch.

When the GCB Select X1 began their reply, they lost Rajendra Ramballi to Cadogan for a duck at 13-1 before former West Indies open Rajendra Chandrika hit Cadogan for an elegant extra cover drive before pivoting on one leg and pulling him for four.

Alvin Mahabir (5) never suggested permanence and edged Ronsford Beaton to the Keeper at 23-2, left-handed Jonathon Rampersaud (5) was bowled by Cadogan 32-3 before Chandrika, who scored the most runs and was named MVP the last time this tournament was played in 2014, was bowled by Keemo Paul for 24 from 39 balls with fours.

But only David Williams, who was LBW to Hubbard for 21, of the other batters passed 12 as Hubbard followed his 51 with 3-25. He got support from Paul, Cadogan and left-arm spinner Anthony Adams who all had two wickets each.

Essequibo began their second innings with a lead of 95 and lost Nathan Persuad, who smashed five fours in a cameo 17-ball 23 before nicking a catch to the keeper off Tyndall at 30-1 before Kevin Boodie (12) was dismissed in similar fashion off Cameron six runs later.

Savory and Renaldo Renee saw the 50 posted in the 11th over before Rampersaud, who surprisingly only bowled 1.5 overs in the first innings, struck when he got rid of Ramsammy (10) at 68-3.

Savory is on 30 from 41 balls with six fours while Hubbard who swept Umroa for four off the last ball of the day is on 16.

Today is the third day and play is scheduled to start at 9:00am.