UNLESS something dramatically occurs overnight from Vishaul Singh’s XI, the second four-day practice match, organised by Cricket Guy Inc. ahead of the West Indies Cricket Board’s Professional Cricket League against Leon Johnson’s XI at the Guyana National Stadium, will peter out into a tame draw.

Having enjoyed a lead of 53 after bowling out Johnson’s XI for 293, five overs after the tea break yesterday, Singh’s XI increased that to 84 at the close of play, as they reached 31 for 2, losing first-innings centurion Shimron Hetmyer (7) who was bowled by Devendra Bishoo off the final delivery of the day’s play.
They had earlier lost Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who was also bowled by Bishoo in the fourth over of their second innings for 12, while Kandasammy Surujnarine is unbeaten on 9 and his team has eight second-innings wickets in the bag, with Bishoo picking up 2 for 10 so far.
Earlier in the day, Johnson’s XI whose composition is made up of 90% of the players who were retained and drafted for CPL, started the day on 106 for 4 with Narsingh Deonarine on 23 and Christopher Barnwell 4.
The duo added 76 for the fifth wicket, with both batsmen hitting boundaries off Raj Nannan and Jeremy Gordon, even as they also got boundaries in one over off Anthony Adams, pushing the score to 172 before Barnwell, who struck five fours in his 42, was caught by Kandasammy Surujnarine off Royston Crandon.
At lunch, Johnson’s XI were 187 for 5, with Deonarine on 51, having posted his 50 from 157 balls with five fours, while Raymon Reifer was on 2 and after the break, Deonarine and Reifer pushed the score to 197, before Amir Khan struck, having Reifer smartly stumped by Jason Sinclair for 9.
His wicket was followed by that of Deonarine who was caught by Khan off Raun Johnson for 65 (175 balls, 7×4) and Jonathan Foo (5), leaving Johnson’s XI on 223 for 8, as Veerasammy Permaul strolled to the wicket to join Anthony Bramble.
Permaul looked comfortable during his 46-run ninth-wicket partnership with Bramble, hitting Nannan for six to go along with his two fours, before he holed out to Johnson at wide long on off Steven Jacobs just before tea which was taken with Johnson’s XI on 279 for 9 off 110 overs with Bramble on 36 and Bishoo 2.
Nannan closed off Johnson’s XI innings when he trapped Bishoo lbw for 8 at 293 off 115.5 overs, leaving Bramble unbeaten on 43 – an innings that was decorated with four fours, while Jacobs ended with 3 for 53, Nannan 3 for 74 and there was a wicket each for Raun Johnson, Khan, Crandon and Anthony Adams.