The final day of the third three-day simulation match ended at Bourda yesterday and saw unbeaten fifties from West Indies Under-19 selectee Tevin Imlach and former West Indies youth opener Taignarine Chanderpaul and 3-17 from left-arm spinner Anthony Adams.
The series of simulation games was organised by the Cricket Guyana Inc. as part of the preparations for the Guyana Jaguars team which will participate in the WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-Day First-Class cricket Franchise which commences on November 6, next.
On another steaming hot day, Vishaul Singh’s X1 resumed on 70 without loss in reply to Leon Johnson X1’s 215-6 declared and reached 223-3 when play ended. The teenage pair of Chanderpaul and Imlach shared in a century first wicket partnership after opener Robin Bacchus retired hurt on Wednesday when he was struck on his glove by a short ball from Paul Wintz with the score on 29.
The youngsters displayed wonderful temperament in their matured opening stand with the right-handed Imlach being the more aggressive of the two. Chanderpaul, the son of Test veteran Shiv Chanderpaul, played the supporting role as his father has become known for.
Both batsmen were tested by some short pitched bowling on a placid Bourda track but they were rarely troubled. Imlach had ‘a year and a day’ to duck under the ball when Chris Barnwell dug one in short just after reaching his half-century.
Chanderpaul, who got to his fifty when he pulled Barnwell for a single, then slapped him magnificently to the cover boundary, Barnwell bowling short and wide. Imlach hooked a bouncer in the same over for four before the pair, which batted for 150 minutes both retired ‘out’ at the interval after making 131 of the 164-run opening stand.
Imlach’s 74 lasted 122 balls (10×4) while Chanderpaul’s 57 came from 139 balls (5×4 1×6). Bacchus just added five to his overnight 20 before he was removed by Adams, who also got rid of Skipper Singh (8) and Kevin Boodie (5) in quick succession before the left-handed Raymond Refier, one of two overseas players in Georgetown based Franchise batted with excellent responsibility to end unbeaten on eight from 46 balls.
Former West Indies Under-19 Captain Steven Jacobs exhibited great restraint in his undefeated 7 from 30 after unleashing a spanking cover driven boundary when leg-spinner Steven Sankar bowled full and wide.
Preparations are expected to intensify with two four-day practice matches to be played from October 12-15 at Bourda and October 26-29 at the Providence Stadium.
(Taken from Kaieteur News)