Seasoned all-rounders, Christopher Barnwell and Raymon Reifer as well as newcomer, Kemol Savory, cashed in on half centuries as the Guyana Jaguars scored heavily against the Rest team in their first warm up match for the Regional Super50 tourney yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club, Bourda.
Batting first, Jaguars piled on 280-4 in their 45-over allotment while their bowlers gave a good account of themselves despite a spirited half century from Kevlon Anderson. When bad light stopped play, Jaguars were declared the winners by 36 runs via the Duckworth Lewis and Stern Method after being 200-7 at the end of 38 overs.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kemol Savory forged a 117-run opening stand that lasted 27.6 overs but it was broken when Savory attempted to cut, only to pick out the fielder at point for 65. His 91-ball innings consisted of two sixes and nine fours while his opening partner fell in the next over one short of his half century.
Skipper, Leon Johnson, fell cheaply but there was an unbroken 138-run partnership between Barnwell and Reifer.
The union lasted 12 overs and put the Rest team’s bowlers to the sword with swashbuckling shots, mostly over mid-wicket and down the ground while a few were sliced heavily through point and punched through covers.
Barnwell’s innings showed his maturity at the wicket as he rotated the strike regularly and capitalised on a sub-par bowling display. The discarded West Indies all-rounder finished on 74 not out from just 51 balls, hitting seven sixes and three fours along the way.
On the other end, bowlers could not ‘catch their length’ as Reifer blasted half a dozen sixes and two fours in his 33-ball onslaught. He scored 62 runs before picking out Kevin Sinclair on the final ball of the innings.
The latest addition to the National side, Nial Smith, who played in the Rest team, found it difficult as he returned 71-1 in his eight overs. Unlike Smith, left-arm spinner, Gudakesh Motie was economical in his eight overs that went for 26 runs.
Seasoned bowlers, Ronsford Beaton who is making a return to the side and Clinton Pestano, frustrated the batsmen as they returned figures of 2-39 and 2-38 respectively while veteran left-arm spinner, Veerasammy Permaul was once again in sublime form with 2-38.
Resisting the National side was Anderson whose unbeaten 68 came from 91 balls. His innings was decorated with three fours and two sixes, one of which was pulled into the pavilion over mid-wicket that featured a small but boisterous crowd.
Anderson was the backbone of a series of middle order partnerships including a 57-run stand for the fifth wicket with Vishaul Singh (28) and a 47-run union with Raymond Perez (25).
The two sides will clash in their final practice match tomorrow at the Enmore Community Centre Ground, East Coast Demerara.
