Hosts Guyana and Barbados looking for redemption after first round loss
… Johnson replaces Beaton
FOLLOWING their first round defeats at the hands of Jamaica and Windward Islands respectively, both Guyana and Barbados will be seeking redemption when they go up against each other over the next four days in the second round of the West Indies Cricket Board’s Regional four-day tournament at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
Today’s encounter is a historic one, as it is the first time a day/night four-day match, using the pink ball, will be played at the venue which hosted several matches of that nature before, but in the 50 overs and T20 formats, with the action commencing at 15:00hrs every day.
When these two met last year at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, under the captaincy of Kirk Edwards, recorded a 93-run victory, thanks to Edwards’ first-innings ton, coupled with 85 from Jonathan Carter that saw them post 367 in their first innings and Rashidi Boucher’s second-innings 81 which enabled them to score 235 for 7 declared.
This was in the face of some controlled spin bowling from then skipper of the Guyana team, Veerasammy Permaul, who took 3 for 82, along with Steven Jacobs and Devendra Bishoo’s 2 for 62 and 84 respectively in the first innings and Jacobs’ 2 for 49 in the second.
Barbados bowlers, led by the fiery Miguel Cummins who took 4 for 42 and Ashley Nurse with 4 for 74, restricted Guyana to 225 in the first innings, despite Leon Johnson’s 46, 37 from Derwin Christian, 34 from Permaul and an unbeaten 30 from Ronsford Beaton.
In the second innings, Cummins, Nurse and Christopher Jordan – who played for England against the West Indies – took three wickets each for 55, 59 and 68 runs respectively as Guyana were bowled out for 284, chasing 377 for a come-form-behind victory.
Zaheer Mohammed, who was drafted in to replace Permaul, who was called away for West Indies duties during the third day, led the Guyanese batting with an unbeaten 58, while Jacobs contributed 51 and Johnson and Rajendra Chandrika, 40 each.
For this fixture, the Guyanese whose batting let them down badly in the first round where they were bowled out for 117 and 264 by the Jamaicans, would be without the services of Johnson (injury), Chandrika and Mohammed (not selected), Jacobs (CCC) and Christian (axed).
In addition to the above-mentioned quintet, they are forced to make do without their two most experienced batsmen in former Guyana and West Indies captains Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Chanderpaul’s 17-year-old son Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who featured in the match against Barbados last year and Chandrapaul Hemraj, a product of the West Indies Cricket Board’s High Performance Centre, are the replacements for the esteemed duo.
To this end, the younger Chanderpaul who made his debut last year against the Leeward Islands and has to date scored 176 runs at an average of 22.00 with a highest score of 42, is expected to open the batting alongside Assad Fudadin.
Narsingh Deonarine, skipper Christopher Barnwell, Vishal Singh, who is coming off the back of a resilient second innings half-century against the Jamaicans and Hemraj will occupy the middle order, with Anthony Bramble, Permaul and his spin twin Devendra Bishoo, offering support, while leading the lower order.
The younger Chanderpaul recently returned from the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh with the young West Indies team who finished in sixth place and for whom he was the most consistent batsman with two half-centuries and one century.
On the other hand, the 20-year-old Hemraj, who had his first stint at the WICB’s High Performance Centre last year, has played three first class matches for Guyana since making his debut against Trinidad and Tobago two years ago, aggregating 57 runs at an average of 9.50 with a topscore of 29.
He last played for Guyana in last year’s Regional four-day tournament against Jamaica at the venue for today’s encounter and judging from the present form displayed by the only fit 11 in Jamaica, he can find himself along with the younger Chanderpaul in the lineup for today’s match.
Meanwhile, former national Under-19 fast blower Raun Johnson will make his debut as a senior national player when he replaces Beaton who injured his side whilst batting in their first round match against Jamaica last week.
After the 2013 Guyana Cricket Board Inter-County four-day competition, the 22-year-old Johnson who stands at six feet, five inches tall and is a product of the Young Achievers Cricket Club, who competes in West Demerara Cricket Association tournaments, was described as impressive by national selectors.
He will share the new ball with his Young Achievers club mate Keon Joseph, with added support in the fast bowling department coming from Fudadin and Barnwell, even as Deonarine, Bishoo and Permaul take charge of the spin department.
The Barbadians, will be led by West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite, with support from Boucher, Roston Chase, Carter, Shai Hope, successful WICB/NAGICO Super50 skipper Kevin Stoute ands diminutive wicketkeeper batsman Shane Dowrich.
Fiery West Indies fast bowler Tino Best and Cummins will lead their bowling, backed by Carlos Brathwaite, who like Best and Cummins, can contribute healthily with the bat, while Nurse, Stoute and the lanky Sulieman Benn, will throw in their weight with the pink ball as well.
Team from Guyana: Christopher Barnwell (captain), Sewnarine Chattergoon, Assad Fudadin, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Narsingh Deonarine, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Anthony Bramble, Amir Khan, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Raun Johnson, Keon Joseph and Vishal Singh.
Barbados (from): Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Sulieman Benn, Tino Best, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashidi Boucher, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shai Hope, Ashley Nurse, Kevin Stoute and Kenroy Williams.
(By Calvin Roberts)
