GUYANA and West Indies A team middle order batsman Assad Fudadin, along with his national teammate Steven Jacobs and Dion Ferrier, turned in creditable performances, as the National T20 team defeated the Digicel Superstars by 22 runs in their warm-up match yesterday at the Providence stadium.
The National side who are in the midst of their preparations for the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional T20 competition, batted first and scored an imposing 170-7 from their 20 overs, before restricting their opponents to 148-2 from their 20 overs.
West Indies openers Travis Dowlin 17 (1×6) and Sewnarine Chattergoon 8 (1×4) added 24 for the first wicket, before they were both dismissed in the fourth over by Paul Wintz who ended with 2-35.
After being given a life by Gajanand Singh off Trevon Garraway in the first over, Dowlin responded by hitting Wintz over extra cover for six, before the same bowler sent back both Dowlin and Chattergoon within four balls of the same over.
At 26-2 in the fourth over, skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan, who top-scored with 36 made off 26 balls with three fours and one six, was joined by Narsingh Deonarine who offered support with 25 (26 balls, 2×4) and they took the score to 88-3 in the 12th over.
Sarwan cut loose on the opposition’s bowling with a four off Garraway from his trademark cut shot through point, while Deonarine pulled Jacobs and Dillon Heyliger forward of square and over mid on respectively for his two fours.
Sarwan also struck Krisendat Ramoo over midwicket for six, as they added 62 for the third wicket from 7.5 overs, before Deonarine was caught by Garraway off Jacobs and Sarwan was run-out by Jacobs when he attempted a cheeky single to point.
Christopher Barnwell 24 (18 balls 3×4) looked his usual pugnacious self despite a slight cold with two of his fours coming from neatly timed drives between cover and extra cover.
At 115-4 in the 16th over with Barnwell and Royston Crandon (6) at the wicket, the National team looked set for a larger total than they got, but they lost Crandon who was caught by Jacobs off Ferrier, who also removed Barnwell and Derwin Christian on his way to finishing with 3-27.
Then at 140-7 in the 19th over, Lennox Cush joined Jonathan Foo and they attacked the Digicel XI bowling from the 1.5 overs they faced where they were able to accumulate 58 valuable runs for their team.
They were both unbeaten on 20 at the end of their team’s overs, with Cush hitting three fours and one six from the seven balls he faced, while Foo struck two fours and one six from his 10 balls.
West Indies Under-19 opener Trevon Griffith (20) give his team a fabulous start with a neatly timed drive over mid on off the bowling of Esaun Crandon, while Richard Ramdeen pulled Deonarine over midwicket for six.
But they both departed in quick succession, with Griffith bowled by Devendra Bishoo’s first ball of the match, while Ramdeen was caught at the wicket off Deonarine, leaving their team in a precarious position of 47-2 in the 9th over.
Fudadin, who later struck both Deonarine and Royston Crandon for four, followed by a six over long on off Bishoo, was joined by Jacobs and they added an unbeaten 101 from 11.3 overs for the third wicket to carry their team to 148-2 after 20 overs.
While they displayed the ability to occupy the crease, their running between the wickets was questionable, even though they were unbeaten on 49 and 47 respectively, with Fudadin hitting three fours and one six from the 38 balls he faced and Jacobs two fours and one six from his 36 balls.
Bishoo and Deonarine ended with one wicket each for 32 and 33 runs respectively for the National team, who will be engaging a Rest XI in another practice match at the same venue from 10:00 h today.