When the final day of the second practice match concluded yesterday at the National Stadium at Providence, the Guyana Jaguars team had completed their preparations before their January 6 departure for Antigua & Barbuda, where they would participate in the opening round of the Regional 4-Day tournament.
Renaldo Ali Mohamed had close calls against Johnson before picking up two wickets
That final day belonged to Chandrapaul Hemraj and team captain Leon Johnson, each of whom scored contrasting but classy centuries of their own. After the Johnson XI had occupied the crease for the entire day, the match ended in a draw, as the Johnson XI scored 388-5 in responding to the Anthony Adams team score of 244 all out.
Resuming the day on 85-1, trailing by 159 runs, the Johnson XI played sensible cricket to have posted 184-2 by the luncheon interval. Hemraj slammed a fluent 104 after resuming the day on 46. His masterful innings, spanning 199 minutes and consuming 149 balls, was decorated with eight fours and six towering maximums.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul, driving during a patient fifty
After scoring a top-notch century, he was removed by the probing Renaldo Ali Mohamed, being caught by wicket-keeper Kemol Savory with the score on 173-2. That development ended a 167-run stand for the second wicket with Johnson.
After Hemraj’s brilliant innings had been concluded, Johnson occupied the crease and took his painstaking innings to 53 by lunch. At that stage, he had faced 194 balls and had compiled 53 runs in batting for 222 minutes and stroking five fours. He was accompanied by Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who reached the luncheon interval at five.
Dynamic duo Hemraj and Johnson scored 104
Resuming for the final session on 184-2, Johnson and Chanderpaul slowly pushed the score over the 250-run mark. Johnson retired after patiently reaching his century, having scored 104 from 265 balls. He had occupied the crease for 308 minutes, and his innings had been constructed with nine fours and one six.
Having faced 213 balls, Johnson spent some useful time at the crease and got runs under his belt. After an 89-run partnership with Chanderpaul, Johnson’s innings came to an end and Vishal Singh commenced his innings, but his stay at the crease was a brief one. He faced 12 balls, hit four boundaries, and was caught for 18 off the bowling of Trevon Griffith when the score was at 282-3.
Chandrapaul Hemraj hit an attacking century to warm up for the 4-day contest in style
Christopher Barnwell partnered Chanderpaul, and the duo ensured the Johnson XI reach 290-3 in 94 overs by the tea interval. At the resumption, Barnwell played some sweet shots, but his promising innings came to an end at 27, which included three fours and one six.
Barnwell departed with the score on 327, and five runs later, Chanderpaul retired out on 51 from 147 balls. His innings had spanned 185 minutes and included four boundaries.
Anthony Bramble was trapped leg before to Anthony Adams for 24, while Raymon Reifer remained unbeaten on 27. Ali Mohamed had 2-36 while the Adams brothers and Griffith each took a wicket.
