Harpy Eagles 2nd 4-day practice match: Nandu scores another half-century as 12 wickets fall on day 1

By Brandon Corlette at Providence

West Indies Under-19 batsman Matthew Nandu continues to press his case for a maiden call-up to the senior Guyana Harpy Eagles team. On the opening day of the second four-day practice match at Providence, Nandu scored an even fifty to take Tevin Imlach’s XI to 226 all out in 75.4 overs.
At stumps, Gudakesh Motie’s XI had reached 46-2 in 12 overs, with promising fast-bowler Shamar Joseph pressing his case for selection by claiming both wickets at the end of day two. Motie’s XI are trailing by 180 runs heading into day two.
Earlier, Imlach’s XI got off to a good start, with openers Chandrapaul Hemraj and Matthew Nandu adding 72 runs. Hemraj was his usual pugnacious self as he displayed an array of shots. He struck two sixes: a pull shot against Isai Thorne, and a slash over third-man against Nial Smith. The very next ball he edged to Junior Sinclair at first slip off Smith, and departed for 46 from 36 balls, having failed to capitalise on a start.

Nandu has looked solid as he continues to play himself into the Guyana Harpy Eagles team. Imlach got off the mark with a pleasant straight drive, but his innings lasted only 26 balls, and he scored only 11. Test spinner Gudakesh Motie drew the batsman forward, and eventually found his edge, and he departed, caught behind at 90-2.
Kevlon Anderson, another batsman who is looking to score big and throw his name up for selection, failed to score more than five runs from the 14 balls he faced. He was clean bowled by his fellow Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club teammate Junior Sinclair, who produced a top-of-the-line off-break.
National skipper Leon Johnson then partnered Nandu, and the duo took the score to 95-3 after 25 overs at lunch. Nandu was on 24 while Johnson was yet to score. Upon resumption of the afternoon session, Johnson looked his usual classy self when he struck Junior Sinclair for back-to-back boundaries. He drove Sinclair past mid-off, and then cut the off-spinner into the boundary.

Nandu, who failed to convert his start into triple figures, was caught in the gully by Rampertab Ramnauth for a 114-ball 50, which included six boundaries. Johnson also wasted a start, as he was removed for 25 when he skied a delivery off the bowling of off-spinner Richie Looknauth.
Akshaya Persaud came and played some delightful shots, but, on most occasions, he found the fielders. He was bowled by Junior Sinclair for a 51-ball 22 which had three fours and one six.
Shamar Yearwood, who featured in a 46-run sixth-wicket stand with Persaud, again looked promising, the left-hander making 37 from 58 balls in an innings laced with five fours and one six. He was removed by Motie, caught and bowled.
Clinton Pestano managed to score only six, and Guyana Under-19 player Zeynul Ramsammy posted 11 when the innings closed on 226 all out. Motie ended with 3-8 from 8.4 overs, while Junior Sinclair had 2-33 in 10 overs. Looknauth had 2-29 in 11 overs, while Ashmead Nedd, Ronaldo Ali Mohammed and Nial Smith each had one wicket each.
In Motie’s XI second innings, Ramnauth was removed after another cameo of 24 from 32 balls in an innings laced with four boundaries. Nightwatchman Ronsford Beaton made four before also being dismissed by Shamar Joseph, the Berbician pacer who had six wickets in the first practice match.
Test opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Mavindra Dindyal will resume the second day from 9:30h. Chanderpaul is unbeaten on 12 and Dindyal is on 06.