By Sean Devers
FORMER West Indies U-19 batter, 19-year-old Canada-born Guyanese, Matthew Nandu, scored a masterful century on his first-class debut against defending champions, Barbados, yesterday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

Nandu made a classy 126 decorated with 14 boundaries from the 331 balls he faced before he was eighth out.

The left-hander, who grew up in Canada but began going back and forth to Guyana since 2017 to play for Demerara in 2018 at the U-17, and in 2019 at U-19 level, was mainly responsible for Guyana Harpy Eagles’ total of 371 yesterday since nobody else reached a half-century.

In the 2022 U-19 World Cup in January, Nandu scored 128 against Papua New Guinea in Trinidad in the Plate Quarter Final and came into his debut first-class season on the back of two fifties in the practice matches preceding this tournament.

Nandu, along with Ashmead Nedd, joined their fathers as father/son pairs to play first-class cricket when they both made their debuts on Wednesday.

With his ton, Nandu joined an elite group of Guyana batters to have made three-figure scores in their debut first-class matches for Guyana.

Nandu joins two other Guyanese, Sudesh Dhaniram, who made 102 on his first-class debut for Guyana against Barbados at Bourda before scoring 131 in his next game against the Leewards, also at Bourda in 1987 and Carl Hooper, who scored a majestic 126 as an 18-year-old, also against Barbados at the Kensington Oval in 1985.

Guyanese Stephen Camacho scored 106 on his regional first-class debut against Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval in February 1966 for British Guyana after making his first-class debut against Australia.

Camacho’s hundred was made in the first year of the Shell Shield. Shell Gas company sponsored the Regional frist-class tournament until 1987.

Back in 1956, Joe Soloman made 114 not out on his Regional first class debut against Jamaica at Bourda before making 108 against Barbados at the same venue in his next match.

There were a few others who scored debut hundreds for British Guiana before May 26, 1966, when Guyana became a sovereign nation; gaining Independence from the British.

The talented Nandu now has the opportunity to join Soloman and Dhaniram with centuries in their first two matches at this level.