NATIONAL all-rounder Esaun Crandon reminded Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) senior chairman of selectors Claude Raphael of his bowling ability yesterday when he took 4-18 from 10 overs of control pace bowling for Permaul’s XI, as their practice match against Johnson’s XI ended in a tame draw at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground. After a side strain obtained during Guyana’s third round match against the Windward Islands in this year’s West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) four-day competition forced him to the sidelines for the previous match against Barbados, Esaun Crandon returned to bowl a nagging line and length that paid off with his figures.
Resuming on their overnight score of 27-1, with Richard Ramdeen on 10 and skipper Leon Johnson on 7, in reply to Permaul’s XI 218, Johnson’s XI reached 158-7 before the declaration was made by national coach Mark Harper.
While Ramdeen failed to make an impact on a good batting track, adding six to his overnight score before he was lbw to Zaheer Mohammed (1-40), Johnson and Royston Crandon made good use of the batting practice offered to them, with scores of 40 and 39 respectively.
Johnson added 40 with both Ramdeen and Royston Crandon for the second and third wickets respectively before he was caught by Veerasammy Permaul at first slip off Steven Jacobs who bowled his off spin with great control to end with 1-9.
Following the departure of Johnson, Royston Crandon added 40 for the fourth wicket with Singh who made 19, before the latter was caught and bowled by Esaun Crandon, following which rain forced the players off the field with Johnson’s XI on 134-4.
When play resumed, Royston Crandon struck Mohammed for a six over long on, before he was dismissed when play resumed, and even though Ricardo Jadunauth struck Permaul for two fours in back-to-back overs, Harper called a halt to Johnson’s team innings.
Batting a second time with a lead of 60 runs, Permaul’s XI lost Shemroy Barrington who was caught and bowled off the first ball from his team’s first innings’ tormentor Totaram Bishun, who was later struck over long on for six by Trevon Griffith, who, along with Jacobs, was unbeaten on 23 and 6 respectively when play was called off at 17:30 h, with his team on 48-1.
The players broke camp last night, with the Berbice players going back to the Ancient County, where some of them will participate in tomorrow’s season opener T20 at the Number 69 ground, while some of the Georgetown-based players will compete in first division matches for their respective clubs, weather permitting.