By Sean Devers
WITH the Guyana Harpy Eagles squad to Antigua and Grenada expected to be picked on Friday, Canada-born Guyanese Matthew Nandu, scored another fifty on day one of the second practice game at Providence yesterday between Gudakesh Motie’s and Tevin Imlach’s X1.

The 19-year-old West Indies U-19 player top-scored with 50 from 114 balls, 170 minutes with six fours to virtually book his flight for what would his debut season in First-class cricket.

Nandu, the son of former Guyana ‘leggie’ Arjune Nandu, shared in a 68-run opening stand with the ultra-aggressive Chanderpaul Hemraj, whose 46 came from 36 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

But only Shamar Yearwood, who hit five fours and a six in his 58-ball 37 and National Captain Leon Johnson, who reached the boundary four times in his 25 from 75 balls, reached 25 for Imalch’s X1, who were dismissed for 226 in 75.4 overs

Spinners Gudakesh Motie (3-8), Richie Looknauth (2-29) and Junior Sinclair (2-33) bowled well for Motie’s X1 who were 46-2 from 12 overs at stumps.

Test Batter Tagenarine Chanderpaul is on 12 and Mavindra Dindyal on six.

Shamar Joseph has so far picked up 2-15 and with eight wickets so far, could be the dark horse in the race for selection.

Guyana’s U-19 opener, Rampertab Ramnauth flicked Joseph to deep backward square with four overs remaining in the day after making 24 with four boundaries at 30-1 while night watchman Ronsford Beaton (4) did not last long; being removed by Joseph at 36-2.

Earlier, Imlach’s X1 batted first in hazy sunshine on a track which offered turn for the spinners.

Hemraj got off the mark with an imperious cut for four off Nail Smith before guiding Beaton to third man for four more.

He was his usual aggressive self and stroked Beaton for another boundary while the level-headed Nandu punched Beaton gloriously past cover as he played the supporting role.

Hemraj pulled West Indies U-19 pacer Isaiah Thorne for six as the 50 came up in 7.4 overs on the fairly fast outfield.

Hemraj slashed Smith over third man for six but attempted a big drive to one that left him and edged to first slip next ball as his reckless shot selection orchestrated his demise at 68-1, when in sight of fifty.

Imlach and Nandu looked composed against the pace attack with Nandu driving Smith majestically for four through the covers.

The 27-year-old Motie, with the news of his Test recall, was introduced into the attack in the 17th over and struck in his second over when Imlach (11) pushed forward to one that spun and edged it to the ‘keeper’ at 90-2

Nandu continued to bat well and stroked Smith for four before off-spinner Junior Sinclair bowled Kevlon Anderson (5) as he missed a pull at a short ball in the penultimate over before Lunch at 93-3.

With the sun and the clouds battling for supremacy overhead, Johnson, who missed the first match, joined the well-set Nandu and saw their team to the interval at 93-3 with Nandu on 24.

After Lunch, Nandu confidently cover drove Smith for four and soon reached his second fifty in two matches from 107 balls with six fours before he cut Renaldo Ali-Mohammed to gully at 140-4

Persaud looked very uncomfortable against off-spinner Richie Looknauth and after pushing and prodding as the ball went past the bat, the left-hander tried to hit his way out of trouble and should have been taken at wide mid-off as he skied his fellow West Demerara team mate, but Sylus Tyndall misjudged the offering.

Johnson counter attacked and used his feet to Looknauth and hit him over mid-on for four but when on 25, Johnson again danced into Looknauth, who bowled a bit slower as the left-hander failed to get the pitch, was beaten in the flight and skied a catch to extra cover at 148-4

Yearwood, the fifth left-hander in the order, went after Looknauth, who troubled the left-handers, and miss-hit him for four to long-on to get off the mark.

Yearwood then smashed Thorne for a delightful cover boundary before flicking him fine for four more and by tea, Yearwood was 24, Akshaya Persaud 16 and the score on 187-5.
After the break, the sun returned in all its glory and a handful of fans, which included former Guyana player Claude St John, watched as Persaud was bowled by Junior Sinclair at 194-6 while Kevin Sinclair (1) fell to left-arm spinner, Ashmead Nedd, one run later.

Yearwood, dropped twice off Junior Sinclair, was caught and bowled from a low full toss after offering some resistance with attacking batting, as Motie, who played his only Test last year against Bangladesh, struck at 217-8.

Kevin Sinclair (1), Zeynul Ramsammy (11) and Pestano (16) never suggested permanence.

Today is the second day and play is scheduled to start at 09:30AM