West Indies test batsman Shimron Hetmyer played an innings pleasing to the eye as he raced to a century in the lone warm-up match for the Guyana Jaguars ahead of this month end’s Cricket West Indies Regional Super50 limited overs competition.
The Guyana Jaguars amassed a mammoth 386 for 8 and then dismissed the opposition for 219 to win by 167 runs at the Providence National Stadium yesterday.
Under a blissful sun, the left-handed Hetmeyer raced to the half century mark from just 33 balls as he dug into Clinton Pestano, hitting him for five boundaries including a six in one over.
Hetmyer went on to strike a total of 14 fours and two sixes, bringing up his century with an ever so gentle push through backward point from just 77 deliveries.
The 21-year-old featured in a third wicket partnership of 102 runs with skipper Leon Johnson after losing newcomer to the Super50 squad, Chandrapaul Hemraj (8) and Raymon Reifer (2).
Hemraj was dismissed by another Super50 newcomer Pestano while
Reifer was dismissed by Paul Wintz.
The stand ended after Johnson failed to pick the line of a Ramaal Lewis delivery (another newcomer) and was bowled for 24.
Ricardo Adams, the fourth freshman in the squad, fought painstakingly through his innings scampering to 28 from 43 deliveries before being caught behind by Tevin Imlach off the bowling of Tagenarine Chanderpaul.
With Hetmyer back in the shed, wicketkeeper/batsman Anthony Bramble teamed up with young Sherfane Rutherford to see Guyana Jaguars ease past the 300-run mark in the 44th over.
Bramble hammered the Rest XI bowling line up reaching his 50 off 38 deliveries.
He then proceeded to clobber his way to 86 with seven massive sixes and two fours.
In one over from Lewis Bramble struck 6, 6, 4,6,1,1 before pulling Barnwell straight to Lewis at forward square leg and ending the partnership with Rutherford five runs short of a century.
Rutherford continued to displace the bowlers reaching 50 from 34 balls but struggled against Barnwell who once knocked him flat on to the deck with a vicious yorker, one of four in the over.
However, Keemo Paul smashed Barnwell in the final over for 23 runs including three maximums to take the Guyana Jaguars XI to 386 leaving
Paul unbeaten on 48.
Chasing down this huge total was never feasible for the Rest XI although Chanderpaul and Robin Bacchus stepped out to the crease, confident in their big hitting abilities.
Bacchus failed to score anything significant with a painstaking 20 from as many balls while Chanderpaul, who scored a strike-rate of 100, only mustered five.
Imlach, spent a lot of time at the crease with skipper Barnwell and together they put on a 75-run partnership with Imlach managing 16 from 41 balls before being stumped by Bramble while Barnwell top scored with 48 from 40 balls.
Jonathan Foo wasted little time at the crease, scoring 15 from 12 balls while Gajanand Singh scrapped 17 from 26 balls.
Bishoo and Permaul had a productive match with the ball taking five wickets between them for just 46 runs in 17 overs as the Rest XI collapsed meekly.
The Guyana Jaguars will depart for Antigua tomorrow where they will open their campaign against English side, Kent in their first match on Tuesday.
The Jaguars squad reads: Shimron Hetymer, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Shiv Chanderpaul, Leon Johnson (Capt.), Ricardo Adams, Sherfane Rutherford, Anthony Bramble, Raymond Reifer, Keemo Paul, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Ramaal Lewis, Romario Shepherd and Clinton Pestano.
