Guyana Harpy Eagles Trial Match Day Two: Brilliant Hetmyer lights up Albion

…runs for Pestano and Imlach

By Brandon Corlette at Albion

Shimron Hetmyer showed that he is in a class above all when he hit an impressive half-century on day two of the Guyana Harpy Eagles Best of Best 4-Day trial match at Albion. At stumps, Keemo Paul’s XI were 154-2 after 55 overs, with Hetmyer unbeaten on 69 from 110 balls, which included three fours, in 101 minutes.
Elegant wicket-keeper batsman Tevin Imlach stroked an unbeaten 45 in the unbroken 98-run partnership.

Resuming the day on 188-7 with Akshaya Persaud on 54 and Clinton Pestano on 24, Leon Johnson’s XI posted 254 all out. Persaud, who top-edged the promising Sylus Tyndall, added only seven runs to his overnight score, ending on 61 from 165 balls, including four boundaries. The left-hander batted for 202 minutes in total.

After that 51-run partnership ended with Pestano and Persaud at 196-8, Anthony Adams stuck around while Pestano played his shots. The pugnacious Pestano, who rocked a floppy, slammed two sixes and four fours in his 69 from 137 balls; one sweetly timed of Veerasammy Permaul. Pestano occupied the crease for 177 minutes, battling against some steady bowling and cramps.

Adams dropped anchor and scored an unbeaten nine from 71 balls in a 58-run ninth wicket partnership, the highest of the innings. Kevin Umrao (00) was the final man dismissed by Permaul, after 117.2 overs. Tyndall claimed 2-27 in 11 overs, and was unlucky not to claim his third victim, after Richie Looknauth dropped Adams on two.
The following over saw Hetmyer drop a sitter from Pestano, who was on 34 at the time. Permaul claimed 2-67 from 39.2 overs, which included 16 maidens on a pitch that offered little assistance. Paul had 2-20 in 16 overs, which had eight maidens.
Covers came on at 11:30h with the score on 236-8, but play had resumed at 12:15h. Paul’s XI openers, Mavindra Dindyal and Kevlon Anderson, took centre stage, but Anderson was undone by a gem off the experienced Keon Joseph.
Anderson made only five, and was bowled all ends up at 6-1. Dindyal was in for some quality bowling, and he and Imlach were beaten by Joseph.
The duo dug deep and went to tea with the score on 44-1. Dindyal was on 21 and Imlach was on 15. After the interval, the shot-gun youth Dindyal was trapped in front by Umrao for 29, which was decorated with four boundaries, as Paul’s XI were reduced to 56-2.
Earlier, Dindyal was caught behind off a Joshua Jones-no-ball.
Hetmyer entered the crease, and the small amount of supporters, which included his father and brother, began to buzz. The left-hander looked in control as he punched, cut and drove with pure class. He formed a strong partnership with his former West Indies U-19 team-mate Imlach.
The man from Canje reached his fifty from 75 balls in 70 minutes, with three sweetly timed fours.
Meanwhile, Imlach, who used his feet and was equally up to the task, ended on a 134-ball 45, which included three fours, after batting for 195 minutes. Joseph ended with 1-9 in four top overs while Umrao had 1-23 in nine.
The third day will resume at Albion, with Paul’s XI trailing Johnson’s XI by 100 runs and eight wickets in hand. This match is the first of three 4-Day trials for Guyana, as the Regional 4-Day tournament looms.