Spinners Anthony Adams and Ramaal Lewis shared six wickets as the Raymon Reifer’s XI brushed aside Leon Johnson’s XI by 24 runs in Thursday’s T20 practice match played at the Everest Ground.
Led by a top score of 20 from ex-West Indies Under-19 wicket-keeper/batsman Tevin Imlach, Reifer’s XI, who were asked to bat first, ended on 116-9 from their 20 overs.
Sherfane Rutherford (01) was stumped off the bowling of Steven Jacobs (1-17), as Reifer’s XI lost their first wicket for 10 runs. Rajendra Chandrika looked good before he was removed by left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul for 19.
Action during Thursday’s T20
Imlach kept the scoreboard ticking, reaching the fence a couple of times before falling prey to his West Indies U-19 teammate Paul, who had him trapped lbw. It took a gutsy lower-order fightback from Ronaldo Ali-Mohammed (14) and an unbeaten 18 from pacer Clinton Pestano to take the team over the 100-run mark.
However, the collective bowling effort from a few of Guyana’s top bowlers – Ronsford Beaton (2-35); Romario Shepherd (2-28); Paul (2-12) and Veerasammy Permaul (2-9) – helped to restrict their opponents to what seemed a gettable target.
However, it was not to be as Johnson’s team found themselves bowled out for 92 in 18 overs, with the skipper hitting two fours and a six in his top innings of 29. Spin twins Adams (3-8) and Lewis (3-29) ripped through the Johnson’s XI batting order.
After seamer Paul Wintz (1-14) and Lewis removed openers Robin Bacchus and Chris Barnwell for four runs each, Johnson was then tasked with steadying the ship, but found it difficult as wickets were tumbling at the other end.
Adams and Lewis made life difficult for Johnson and his men as batsmen five and down were dismissed for single-digit scores with the exception of Jacobs, who smashed a six and a four during his score of 18, which he made batting at number 10.
Fast-bowler Raun Johnson, who ended with figures of 1-17 from his only over, wrapped up the innings when he pinned Jacobs, leg before wicket. The match was organised as practice ahead of next week’s Antigua-Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) T20 invitational, which begins October 6.
