Skipper Vishaul Singh stroked a match-winning century while Vice-Captain Steven Jacobs chipped in with a defiant half-century, remarkably piloting their team to a massive come-from-behind two-wicket win over the Leon Johnson-led XI.
It was the first of two four-day practice matches organised by the Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI). Played at the Bourda Cricket ground, the all-rounder Jacobs struck nine fours in his 68 sharing a mammoth 152-run partnership with his skipper who weighed in with a classy 109 off 242 balls inclusive of 11 fours, the only century of the match, as they soared to 336-8 in 98.5 overs. This was in reply to the Johnson’s XI 334. Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul toiled and worked dearly for his six wickets as his 39 overs yielded 126 runs, but his team was unable to draw first blood in the two-match series.
When the chase began for Vishaul Singh’s XI, the overnight pair of Tagenarine Chanderpaul (13) and Kandasammy Surujnarine (14) took the score to 38 before the younger Chanderpaul was bowled by Permaul. Surujnarine struck four boundaries before he was run out by Trevon Griffith soon after leaving the score on 62-2.
Shimron Hetmyer who was in need of runs knuckled down and batted maturely for his 50 which aided greatly in the successful chase. The West Indies Under-19 batsman replicated mistakes made by a few players in this match, which was get to a half-century and get out. He was outfoxed by Permaul when he failed to read a delivery which he lobbed back into the hands of the left-arm spinner.
Heading into the lunch break, skipper Singh and Royston Crandon knew a repair partnership for the innings was needed. When the afternoon innings resumed, Crandon was run out for 3 by Keon Joseph while the pugnacious Ricardo Adams (6) became another victim for Permaul.
Jacobs and Singh sought to frustrate the bowlers with their grittiness, picking up the singles along with the occasional boundaries as they brought up the team’s 150. Singh crept closer to the 40’s with a straight drive down to the boundary off Permaul which was complemented the very next delivery with a slight shimmy down the track, hammering the spinner for a huge six. The two batsmen went into tea with the score at 179-5 and Jacobs upon resumption of play took a liking to the part time off-spin of Johnathan Foo smacking him for a four and a huge mid-wicket six onto the dressing room pavilion roof.
Singh, too, who was eyeing his half-century, took a liking to Foo, punching and cutting him for boundaries through the cover region eventually bringing up his 50 in the next over which was followed shortly after by the team’s 200.
The assault continued as the two mauled the slower bowlers, especially Singh who was uncharacteristic in his approach being the more aggressive of the two. After playing second fiddle to his skipper, Jacobs soon ended his barren patch of batting which he endured for a few matches and brought up a resurgent 50.
As the saying “fortune favors the brave” goes, Joseph witnessed that first hand, when he could have had the wickets of both batters if Permaul at short long-on and Barnwell in slip, had not spilled catches. Things got worse for the pacer who went on to bowl a nightmare 10-ball over which featured four no-balls and yielded 18 runs. With 56 runs required for an upset victory, Permaul broke the partnership when Jacobs held out to Robin Bacchus who was patrolling the deep square-leg boundary.
Singh continued to tick over the runs as he found himself comfortably positioned in the 90’s with his team requiring some 40 odd runs for a remarkable victory. The 300 came up with a cheeky leg glance off the skipper’s bat who at that time was three shy of his ton. He brought up the landmark with a single through mid-wicket. With a handful of overs remaining to get to the remaining 26 runs, Paul became Permaul’s fifth victim when he provided a regulation catch to keeper Anthony Bramble bringing out new man Jason Sinclair to the middle.
Singh’s innings came to an end when he was expertly caught by Motie in the deep as Permaul picked up his sixth wicket. However Amir Khan (2) and Sinclair (12*) were tasked with taking their team over the line with five runs needed from 12 deliveries. They did not disappoint as the latter smoked an authoritative straight four off the bowling of Narsingh Deonarine to wrap up proceedings.
The second match is scheduled for next week with the Johnson XI aiming to gain some much needed retribution.
