CAPTAIN Shimron Hetmyer impressed with the bat on the final day of the PCL Four-Day Practice match as his team battled to a draw against Leon Johnson’s XI at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Ground, Bourda.Hetmyer’s XI were given a 332-run target for victory on the final day but ended on 123-1, trailing by 209, with the captain unbeaten on 76 from 80 balls which included nine fours and a six. Tevin Imlach was also unbeaten on 30.
The second innings began with Robin Bacchus (12) being dismissed early again, caught behind by Bramble off a lifting delivery from Ronsford Beaton.
Earlier in the day, Johnson’s XI resumed from their overnight score of 125-3 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 14 and Vishaul Singh on 4. Pacer Raun Johnson quickly removed Singh (14) and Raymon Reifer (0), both caught behind.
Chanderpaul seemed to be on course to a half-century but Steven Sankar claimed his wicket on 38.
At 164-6, Anthony Bramble (28*) who joined Barnwell minutes before lunch was dropped before scoring by Kandasammy Surujnarine off spinner Raj Nannan.
The two right-handers extended the lead to 247 at lunch with the team score on 175-6. Barnwell made up for his near miss in the first innings when he got out for 47 with a watch score of 58 from 109 balls.
He was then knocked over by Javon Searles the following over, after strangely leaving a delivery which shaped into his stumps, as Johnson’s XI declared.
Assad Fudadin (82) the top scorer in Johnson’s XI second innings departed minutes before stumps on the third day.
Pacer Raun Johnson who bagged 3-29 first innings, picked up 2-43 in the second ending with 5-72. Leg-spinner Steven Sankar was expensive but captured 2-64 for Hetmyer’s XI.
In the first innings, Johnson’s XI made 344 all out compliments of Singh’s 123 and Johnson’s 61 while Johnson and Joseph collected three and two wickets, Hetmyer’s first innings was led by Boodie’s solid 130 and a steamy 53 from the captain while spinners Permaul and Jacobs shared six wickets between them.
The next match is set to bowl off on October 26 at the Guyana National Stadium.