By Calvin Roberts
An unbeaten 81 from Essequibo all rounder Dellon Heyliger, helped guide Eugene La Fleur’s XI to 262-8 at the end of the first day of the first three-day trial match organized by the Guyana Cricket Board against Royston Alkins’s XI at the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) ground Thomas Lands yesterday.
Heyliger batted with authority against pace and spin after arriving at the wicket with his team on 146-3 (following the retirement of La Fleur, who suffered a groin injury) to blast seven fours and four sixes.
Earlier, openers Eon Hooper and Michael Felix, added 30 runs for the first wicket before Hooper was caught by wicket keeper Denver Greaves off the bowling of Triston Massena.
Felix and Ryan Rajmangal then added 83 runs for the second wicket as they went about operation repair with caution against the new ball bowlers who were extracting some bounce out of the wicket. Felix was however unable to carry on after passing his 50 as he offered an easy chance to Keyron Fraser off Seon Daniels who was later roughed up by Heyliger.
Rajmangal was caught by Trevon Griffith at first slip and following the retirement of La Fleur, wickets tumbled at the other end until Heyliger was joined by Dexter Solomon.
Together they posted 76 runs for the second wicket with the former being severe on the bowlers.
When Daniels, who was operating from the Southern End, overpitched, he simply opened his broad shoulders and thumped the bowler with disdain into the neighbouring Tutorial High School compound.
Medium pacer Seon Hetymyer replaced Daniels who was also driven through the cover region for another four by Heyliger and he too was dispatched over backward square leg for six that brought up the 250 for his team.
Solomon then lost his wicket soon after when he attempted an audacious drive against Keyron Fraser and got an edge through to Greaves. Andre Stoll joined Heyliger but he too did not last long when in attempting to drive Daniels, he got an edge through to Griffith at second slip who gleefully accepted the offer.
When play resumes today, Heyliger will be looking to post the first century in the trials and in the process, nudge the selectors who were all present yesterday.
Bowling for Alkins’s XI Massena grabbed 2-34, Daniels 2-43 while there was a wicket each for Alkins (1-24) and Fraser (1-26).
