Eon Hooper continued from where he left off in the Guyana Jaguars Franchise League where he was the leading wicket taker by grabbing 5-76 on the third day of the PCL Four-Day practice match yesterday at Everest, while Shiv Chanderpaul (74) and Raymon Reifer (69) also got fifties.
Chanderpaul faced 214 balls and seven fours and two sixes and added 136 for the fourth wicket with Reifer who reached the boundary four times and cleared it three times in his 165-balls knock to help Vishaul Singh’s X1 to 368 in reply to Christopher Barnwell’s X1 325.
By the close, Barnwell’s X1 were 63-2 in their second innings with Kandasammy Surujnarine unbeaten on 23 and Chanderpaul Hemraj undefeated on 16. Left-arm spinner Anthony Adams followed up his 3-100 in the first innings with 2-9 so far.
Hooper bowled 57 overs of which 26 were maidens and took 5-76. He removed both overnight batsmen Chanderpaul and Reifer to stake a strong claim for a debut National call-up with spinner Devendra Bishoo likely to be unavailable for the first game which starts next Friday at Providence and Steven Jacobs nursing a back injury.
When play began with Singh’s X1 on 189-3, Chanderpaul, 49 overnight, reached his 50 from 166 balls with six fours and a six and celebrated by hitting left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie for six over long-off before fellow left-hander Reifer, who added one to his overnight 68, departed at 190-4.
The 42-year-old Chanderpaul whipped Motie off his legs for six as he and Anthony Bramble pushed the score to 226 before Chanderpaul, who batted sedately on the slow track and heavy outfield, fell as Hooper, from the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, continued to impress.
Bramble hit four fours in 30 before he was bowled by the GCB’s Franchise League’s leading fast bowler Tucber’s Park and Berbice pacer Romario Shepherd at 250-6.
At Lunch, Rajendra Chandrika, forced retire hurt on four on Tuesday after being struck on his ankle by a return from the bowler, was eight and National U-19 left-hander Sherfane Rutherford, troubled by the turn from Hooper, on 11.
After the interval, Singh’s X1 lost Rutherford (27) at 289-7 before Chandrika, just back from the West Indies’ ‘A’ team tour of Sri Lanka, added 46 with Akshaya Persaud by taking the score to 335-8 when Chandrika whose 36 lasted 109 balls and included three fours departed.
Persaud’s 35 included four boundaries and lasted 80 balls, while Clinton Pestano chipped in with 18 before he was last dismissed. Today is the final day and play is scheduled to commence at 09:30 hrs.
(Taken from Kaieteur News)