Savory’s magnificent 170 highlights Day Two

By Sean Devers
A magnificent 170 from Kemol Savory, and a well-constructed 52 from Tagenarine Chanderpaul highlighted the second day of the GCB four-day practice match.

Veerasammy Permaul’s X1, chased leather all day on a fast Providence sward as Chanderpaul’s X1 reached 378-6 by stumps yesterday.
Permaul’s X1 had made 262 on the opening day.

The 26-year-old Savory counted 17 fours and two sixes in his 192-ball and 237-minute innings, sharing in a 72-run second- wicket stand with Chanderpaul, who made 52 from 113 balls and 154 minutes, with five fours and two sixes.

He then featured in a 52-run third-wicket partnership with Mavindra Dindyal (11), and a further 100 for the fourth with Anthony Bramble (28).
This was after Chanderpaul and Chanderpaul Hemraj, who made 40 from 43 balls and 82 minutes with four fours and two sixes had put together 66 for the first wicket to give their team a lead of 117 going into today’s penultimate day.

When Chanderpaul’s XI resumed on 3-0, Hemraj was his usual pugnacious self, as he got going with an imperious cut for four off pacer Isiah Thorne, while Chanderpaul, who made an auspicious Test debut against Australia, conducted a batting clinic on the ‘leave alone’ shot.

While Hemraj, who needed to feel ‘bat on ball’, which would eventually orchestrate his demise, pulled Thorne into the Red Stand, and lofted Mohammed over long-on for six, Chanderpaul deliberately played inside the line of deliveries outside off-stump.

Hemraj, who was struck on his boot by Thorne, continued to bat positive, while Chanderpaul clipped Ronsford Beaton for his first boundary off his 50th ball to move into double figures.
The pair brought up the 50 off 14 overs with the Skipper contributing 12 to the partnership.

When on 40, Renaldo Ali Mohammed induced Hemraj to flirt with a short ball just outside off stump to edge it to first slip at 66-1.
When Permaul brought himself on, Chanderpaul hit him back over his head for six, before magnificently stroking Ali-Mohammed back past his ankles for, arguably, the shot of the day.

Savory whipped Ali-Mohammed for four before smashing Permaul to the extra cover boundary, and by lunch, the score was 108-1, with Chanderpaul on 31 and Savory on 26.
After Lunch, Chanderpaul pulled a high full- toss from Junior Sinclair for six, before posting his 50 with an exquisitely hit cover drive off the off-spinner.
His 50 took 145 minutes, 105 balls, and was decorated with five fours and two sixes.

Sinclair bowled Chanderpaul at 138 to end his entertaining stand with Savory.
Savory reached his 50 with a flick off Permaul. His fifty took 78 balls, 100 minutes, and included six fours.
Savory celebrated by slog-sweeping Permaul for six, and smashing left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd for a scorching four.

Dindyal edged Nedd to Kevlon Anderson at slip for the Keeper, Tevin Imlach, to take the rebound at 190-3 to end the third consecutive half-century stand.
Bramble joined Savory, and, by Tea, the score was 202-3, with Savory, also a keeper, on 86 and Bramble on two.
After Tea, Savory reached his century from 143 balls, 170 minutes with 10 fours and two sixes.

The Essequibo Cricketer-of-The-Year oozed confidence and danced into Nedd, and clobbered a six over mid-wicket before cutting him for four, to the delight of just over 25 fans in the stands, which included Guyana’s Number One cricket supporter, Norman the ‘Juice Man’.

Savory executed a dismissive cover drive off Nedd, before hitting Sinclair for a straight boundary.

Savory was not done yet, and a cover drive off Ali-Mohammed reached the ropes like a bullet, while Bramble, the silent partner, pulled Sinclair for four.

Bramble, who hit two fours and a six, fell to Richie Looknauth at 290-4, before Savory dumped Nedd for six to reach 150.
But when 30 short of a ‘double’, he was LBW to smith at 335-5, while Gudakesh Motie (10) fell to Beaton.

Kevin Sinclair (40) and Anthony Adams (5) will resume today.