Johnathan Foo’s unbeaten fifty gave Lower Corentyne a slight edge over opponents Georgetown in round two’s opening day of the ongoing Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Jaguars Franchise League 3-Day tournament.
Played at the Albion Community Center Ground, table leaders Lower Corentyne were 123-3 from 29 overs at stumps, trailing Georgetown by 89 runs in reply to the visitors first innings 212 all out.
The in-form Foo, fresh off a scorching 152 in the first round against Essequibo, followed up his ton with another brutal display of power-hitting which took him to 75 not out at close of play.
He will be eyeing another three figure score when he resumes today with partner David Latchaya who is unbeaten on 02.
It was another fruitful day for the Lower Corentyne spinners, led by Captain Veerasammy Permaul whose 4-54 took his overall tally to 14 wickets from three innings.
Foo, a useful part-time off-spinner captured 3-17 as he aided his skipper well with the ball.
During their first innings which began after tea, L/Corentyne lost Devon Clements without scoring but the home team surged to their 50 in just 10 overs after Foo walked to the crease an immediately stepped on the gas.
Robin Bacchus’s part-time seam bowling was clobbered around the Albion ground, by Foo who smoked one of the deliveries into some coconut trees outside the ground to quickly take his personal tally into the 30’s.
Opener Kandasammy Surujnarine (35) also looked in fine touch, scoring boundaries on both sides of the wicket.
He lent ideal support to the more aggressive Foo who reached his second 50-plus score of the competition, off just 32 balls with four fours and three sixes.
As stumps approached, Georgetown, who were under a bit of pressure, managed to make a few breakthroughs sending left-hander Gajanand Singh (01) and the set Surujnarine back to the dressing room
before day one’s action concluded. Georgetown skipper Chris Barnwell, spinner Devon Lord and Kellon Carmichael took a wicket each.
Earlier, Georgetown’s total didn’t reflect the decent batting performances of their top seven batsmen who all had solid starts but failed to kick on as no player registered a half-century. Openers Bacchus (32) and Andrew Lyght Jr (27) added 65 for the opening stand, getting their side off to a positive start.
The left-handed Bacchus found the ropes five times while his partner hit four boundaries before off-spinner Kassim Khan (1-51) and Permaul had both batters out caught by Foo while Ovid Richardson chipped in with a composed 25 before succumbing to Permaul.
Top-scorer Barnwell (35) and former West Indies youth batsman Kwame Cross, began repairs after the loss of the top three batsmen. Barnwell hit the first of two sixes scored by his team along with a couple of fours but was caught by Permaul off pacer Raun Johnson (1-31).
Crosse soon perished for 16 and things got worse for the visitors when Foo and the left-arm spinner Permaul made in-roads which knocked the wind out of the Georgetown lower/middle-order batsmen who chipped in with useful scores.
National youth all-rounder Ronaldo AliMohammed (16) and wicket-keeper/batsman Dexter Solomon (26) launched a brief counterattack before falling victims to Foo.
Their dismissals were quickly followed by the wickets of Carmichael (02) and last man Lord (19), who were removed by the Lower Corentyne Captain.
Day two’s action will continue today from 9:30hrs.
