Foo hits 60; good outings for Sinclair, Reifer, Hemraj

Guyana Jaguars 2-Day Practice match…

Story and Photos by Brandon Corlette

Jonathan Foo extended his Regional Super50 form with a responsible 60, as he continued his quest for a maiden 4-Day call-up. Foo’s knock helped Anthony Adams’ XI scored 244 all out in 74.5 overs on the opening day of the second and final practice match at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.

In reply, Leon Johnson XI ended the day on 85-1, facing a deficit of 159 runs. Chandrapaul Hemraj was unbeaten on an attacking 46, while captain Johnson was unbeaten on 23 at stumps.
Earlier, Adams’ XI had a solid start, with Trevon Griffith and Raymon Perez adding 55 runs together. Griffith was removed by the Barbadian Raymon Reifer for a 41-ball 24 which included four boundaries and one six. His opening partner Perez looked in fine touch once again, but failed to register a significant score. Perez made 46 from 79 balls, stroking four boundaries and two sixes in the process.

After Perez was bowled by Christopher Barnwell with the score on 85-2, left-handed duo of Akshaya Persaud and Kemol Savory took the score past 100. Savory was dismissed for four when veteran left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul rocked back his stumps at 107-3.
Jonathan Foo partnered Persaud, and the duo took the score to 113-3 at lunch after 33 overs. Persaud was unbeaten on 27, while Foo was yet to get off the mark.
The West Demerara lad Persaud looked in decent knick, but after the lunch interval he played an awful swipe to Devendra Bishoo and was bowled for 32. Having occupied the crease for 111 minutes, Persaud had stroked five fours in his promising innings.

With the score on 156-5, Ricardo Adams fell for three, playing across the line to a straight-Permaul delivery.
Foo, who was dropped on 38 by Singh at short cover, reached his fifty in 112 balls after 116 minutes. He and Renaldo Ali Mohamed added 57 runs together for the sixth wicket partnership, the former West Indies Under-19 all-rounder slamming four fours, including three in one Permaul over, and two sixes in his 44-ball 39. His breezy innings concluded when he was caught at leg-gully by Singh off the bowling of Kevin Sinclair.
At the tea interval, Adams’ XI had reached 219-6, with Foo unbeaten on 52 and Quintin Sampson on one. At the resumption of the final session of the day, Sinclair found himself on a hat trick. He bowled Sampson all ends up for 15 with the score at 235-7, and followed that up with the wicket of Gudakesh Motie, who went for a first ball duck, caught at the wicket. After all the drama, Foo then edged Reifer behind to end his innings on 60 from 137 balls in 155 minutes, including six boundaries and with the score at 242-9.

Reifer then wrapped up the innings with a stunning return catch to dismiss Nial Smith, as Anthony Adams (02) standing at the non-strikers end watched his XI end their innings on 244 all out in 74.5 overs.
Reifer ended with 3-18 in 9.5 overs, while Sinclair had 3-53 in 12 overs, and Permaul bagged 2-72 in 25 overs, including seven maidens.
In the Johnson XI first innings, Chandrapaul Hemraj began in style, driving Smith to the cover boundary. Ali Mohamed took the new ball from the Player’s Pavilion end and got inward movement, so much so that he trapped Imlach in front for one with the team’s score on six.
An unbroken 69-run partnership between Hemraj and Johnson ensured no further hiccups, and the day closed on 85-1. Hemraj looked in full flow, scoring his 40 from 60 balls. This was decorated with four boundaries and two sixes, and was achieved in 80 minutes.
The second and final day at Providence will commence from 9:00h, as Jaguars look to wrap up their preparations for the Regional 4-Day tournament slated for January 9.