PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Former West Indies Under-19s batsman, Jyd Goolie, pressed his case for a place in the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force squad for next year’s Regional Super50 with an audacious hundred in the second trial game here Friday.
The 23-year-old, who played a key role in West Indies’ capture of the Youth World Cup four years ago, stroked an unbeaten 122 off 97 deliveries in a losing cause for the Imran Khan XI who went under by 50 runs to the Denesh Ramdin XI in search of 277 at the Brian Lara Stadium.
A left-hander, Goolie belted nine fours and seven sixes to spearhead the Imran Khan XI run chase, and was supported by another left-hander, opener Jeremy Solozano, with 25.
However, the middle order collapsed badly as the likes of West Indies batsman Jason Mohammed (9), former Young Windies stroke-maker Kirstan Kallicharan (1) and the experienced Steven Katwaroo (9) all failed, leaving the Imran Khan XI well short on 226 for seven.
Off-spinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar (2-10), leg-spinner Isaiah Rajah (2-38) and pacer Anderson Phillip (2-42) all finished with two wickets each.
Goolie will still be fresh in the minds of national selectors following his maiden first class hundred in the final series of matches in the Regional Four-Day Championship last March, before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the competition to an abrupt end.
His attractive 128 against Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Brian Lara Stadium handed Red Force an emphatic innings and 84-run victory.
Goolie’s hundred on Friday was one of two as Tion Webster blasted 127 for Ramdin’s XI who reached 276 for six in a match reduced to 40 overs due to rain.
Webster, who featured for Red Force in last year’s Regional Super50, struck seven fours and eight sixes in a scintillating 96-ball knock.
The right-hander put on 180 for the first wicket with Keagan Simmons whose 85 came from 92 balls and included six fours.
Sending down his leg-breaks, Goolie was among the wickets with two for 17 while off-spinner Bryan Charles finished with two for 55.
The trial matches are in preparation for next February’s Regional Super50.
