ESSEQUIBO created a major upset yesterday, beating Demerara in the traditional GTM three-day Inter-county Under-19 cricket competition and sealing a sensational nine-run win 30 minutes before the scheduled 17:00 h close of play at the Everest Cricket Club ground.

When off-spinner Rovindra Parasram, the tormentor with six wickets, had Leon Scott pushing tentatively forward to get a leg-before decision, the lads from the Cinderella County had made history in the Guyana Cricket Board’s annual tournament, ending a drought of over 30 years without a victory.

Scores in the match: Essequibo 158 and 61 all out; Demerara 82 and 129.

Needing to get a target of 139 from a maximum of 165 overs, the home team’s batsmen floundered to 125 in 60.2 overs with Parasram being the leading light in Essequibo’s their illuminated triumph, ending with impressive figures of six for 24 from 14.2 overs.

The defeat prompted coach of the Demerara team Orin Bailey to say that the lack of cricket by the players leading up to this tournament contributed and blamed it solely on the Demerara Cricket Board.

“When you are playing at this level, you have to prepare the players to be ready and the lack of cricket over the past three months has made a difference and obviously the result. It was insufficient preparation and that can be the main reason …,” Bailey declared.

However, Essequibo received the accolades despite their poor and inexplicable batting in their second innings falling for a meagre 61.

They resumed yesterday morning at four without loss with skipper Rayon Fredericks on one and Mark Austin on two but the pacer Scott had Fredericks’ stumps disturbed for seven while left-arm spinner Totaram Bishun and leg-spinner Keon Lake conspired to wrap up the innings by sharing eight wickets.

Bishun ended with five for 11 from 11.3 overs while Lake grabbed three for 17 from his eight overs.

But their batsmen made a mess of things and were undone by the Essequibians, folding badly with Parasram getting excellent support from off-spinner Royston Alkins who was the destroyer in the first innings. He finished with three for 38 from 20 overs to finish with a match-haul of eight for 32.

Demerara began their chase nicely after Jeetendra Sookdeo and Ryan Rajmangal put on 66 runs with the former making 36 and the later 24 but once they were separated, wickets continued to fall in quick succession with only Troy Nurse playing watchfully to score 24.

The competition continues on Monday with the winners Essequibo meeting Berbice at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

ESSEQUIBO first innings 158
Demerara first innings 82
ESSEQUIBO second innings o/n 4-0
R. Fredericks b Scott 7
M. Austin c Fernandes b Ramkellawan 9
R. Parasram lbw Lake 15
D. Heyliger lbw Lake 2
R. Alkins b Bishun 1
T. Tulsiram c Griffith b Bishun 0
B. Gabose b Bishun 5
H. Greene b Lake 1
O. Sampson not out 6
P. Neel b Bishun 3
T. Massena c Sookdeo b Bishun 0
Extras: (lb-4, b-6, nb-2) 12
Total: (all out, 29.5 overs) 61
Fall of wkts: 1-18, 2-18, 3-42, 4-45, 5-45, 6-45, 7-51, 8-53, 9-61.
Bowling: L. Scott 6-2-11-1, S. Daniels 5-1-6-0, J. Sookdeo 1-1-0-0, R. Ramkellawan 3-1-6-1, K. Lake 8-3-17-3, T. Bishun 6.3-2-11-5.

DEMERARA second innings
J. Sookdeo c Tulsiram b Parasram 36
R. Rajmangal b Parasram 24
T. Nurse b Parasram 24
T. Griffith b Alkins 00
D. Fernandes lbw Alkins 1
R. Ramkellawan c wkp. Neel b Parasram 13
D. Greaves run out 4
K. Lake lbw Alkins 5
T. Bishun c Alkins b Parasram 1
L. Scott lbw Parasram 3
S. Daniels not out 1
Extras: (lb-1, b-7, w-2, nb-4) 14
Total: (all out 60.2 overs) 129
Fall of wkts: 1-66, 2-79, 3-84, 4-86, 5-111, 6-115, 7-119, 8-125, 9-125.
Bowling: O. Sampson 2-0-13-0, T. Massena 2-0-3-0, D. Heyliger 3-1-4-0, R. Alkins 20-8-38-3, R. Fredericks 12-4-15-0, B. Gabose 7-1-24-0, R. Parasram 14.2-3-24-6.