Leon Johnson – The 592 Dugout

Smith 2nd innings fifer fires Harpy Eagles to victory over Barbados Pride – WI Championship

By Michelangelo Jacobus

A fiery spell after lunch from Guyana Harpy Eagles pacer Nial Smith ensured that his side recorded a big win in their first round encounter against the defending champions Barbados Pride at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday afternoon.

Smith’s 2nd innings figures of 5/31 (10 Overs) vindicated the Harpy Eagles’ skipper Leon Johnson’s decision to bat first as the previously dull pitch came alive on the fourth and final day of the match. Smith’s performance complemented the first innings effort of 19-year-old debutant Matthew Nandu who set the platform for the win with his excellent 126 on debut.

Earlier in the day, the Guyanese batting order collapsed in a heap as the Barbados pacers got the ball to move with poor shot selections not helping either. Seamers Akeem Jordan and Keon Harding were the destroyers-in-chief sharing six wickets between them with 3-apiece. Veteran Veerasammy Permaul and Smith had the highest partnership of the Guyanese 2nd innings and when the former was bowled by Chaim Holder, the Guyana Harpy Eagles declared at 126/9 leaving Barbados staring at a total of 278 for an unlikely victory.

Enter Smith; he began proceedings by getting first innings top scorer Sheyne Mosely to nick one to wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble for a duck in the second over while Shamar Joseph trapped Zachary McCaskie LBW in the very next over. However Jonathan Drakes and Shamarh Brooks looked to steady the ship and took their side from 9/2 to 30 before Brooks became Ronsford Beaton’s first victim.

The beginning of the end for the defending champions came courtesy of Veerasammy Permaul who snared the scalps of Nicolas Kirton and Shamar Springer in the 19th over to take his career tally to 504 wickets (the highest by a Guyanese bowler). Then Beaton added his second wicket of the innings when he sent back the Bajan skipper, a wounded Shane Dowrich for a two-ball duck to leave Barbados in serious trouble at 38/6.

Drakes (36) and Akeem Jordan (20) offered a brief resistance but the return of Smith sealed their end. He had Jordan holing out to Kevin Sinclair, then Drakes followed in similar fashion, caught by Permaul while Harding was also dismissed via a catch. Fittingly Smith sealed his five-wicket haul and a resounding win for the Guyana Harpy Eagles by bowling Jair McAllister to end the Barbados innings at 94 (36 overs).

SCORES: Guyana Harpy Eagles – 371 & 126/9 Declared, Barbados Pride – 220/9 & 94 All out

Guyana won by 183 runs.

Nandu, dropped catches frustrate Barbados on day 1 – West Indies Championship

Highly touted as one for the future, Guyana Harpy Eagles 19-year-old debutant Matthew Nandu played with patience, class and composure that belies his age to frustrate Barbados at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua & Barbuda with an unbeaten 71 on day one of their first round encounter.

At stumps, the Harpy Eagles were on 205/5 (76.4 Overs) after winning the toss and electing to bat. The morning session was cut short due to a Keon Harding delivery which tore a chunk of the turf out of the pitch which then had to be repaired by the ground staff. In that shortened session, openers Nandu and Chandrapaul Hemraj navigated their side to lunch (at 29) without loss. However, Barbados Pride would be left ruing a couple of dropped catches which enabled the Harpy Eagles to push on.

Shortly after lunch, Hemraj and Tevin Imlach would fall quickly to leave the Harpy Eagles wobbling at 35/2. First, Hemraj fell LBW to seamer Jair McAllister then Imlach had to return to the pavilion without troubling the scorers also via the LBW route off the bowling of Akeem Jordan.

From thereon out, it was the Nandu show as he strung together useful partnerships with fellow debutant Kemol Savoury, skipper Leon Johnson and Anthony Bramble, who all made starts but failed to bat on.

Savoury (25) and Nandu combined to take the Harpy Eagles to 80 before the aggressive wicket-keeper batsman nicked spinner Chaim Holder to Shane Dowrich to end his first innings at the regional level. In strode the under pressure Johnson who looked attractive in his innings of 26 and it was only fitting that he was at the non-striker’s end when Nandu brought up his maiden fifty on the stroke of tea to raucous applause from his teammates. However, after the break, Johnson too, fell to Holder with the score at 126/4.

The ever consistent Anthony Bramble did all the hard work at the beginning of his innings only to give his wicket away with a nothing shot as he fell for 20 caught by McAllister of the bowling of Jordan. At that point, the Guyana Harpy Eagles looked vulnerable with the total at 163/5 but all-rounder Kevin Sinclair and the increasingly confident Nandu took the fight to a waning Pride attack.

Their partnership worth 45, Sinclair (28 not out) and Nandu guided the Harpy Eagles to the close of play with the score at 205/5 (76.4 Overs), albeit not without incident, as an edge from Nandu seemed to carry to Akeem Jordan, but the umpires correctly ruled not out which replays vindicated as the ball appeared to bounce before entering Jordan’s grasp. Nandu will resume his innings on day two at 71 (219 deliveries and 9 boundaries).

(Day 1 Stumps: Guyana Harpy Eagles 205/5 – Matthew Nandu 71 not out, Kevin Sinclair 28)

Harpy Eagles Practice Match 2: Nandu & Motie performances highlight day 1

With play set to resume today, a patient half-century from young opening batsman Matthew Nandu and miserly figures of 3/8 (8.4 Overs) from Gudakesh Motie highlighted day one of the 2nd Guyana Harpy Eagles practice match at the Providence National Stadium.

Earlier yesterday, Tevin Imlach’s XI won the toss and elected to take first strike against the Gudakesh Motie XI. Nandu along with veteran Chandrapaul Hemraj got Imlach’s XI off to a flyer. Hemraj was the aggressor racing to 46 from 36 deliveries before he got out with the score at 72. From there on out, wickets fell at regular intervals as Imlach (11) and Kevlon Anderson (5) both came and went. The returning Leon Johnson joined Nandu and together they guided their side from 90/3 to 140 before Nandu fell for a well composed 50 courtesy of Ronaldo Mohamed-Ali.

Johnson (25) along with Akshaya Persaud (22) and Shamar Yearwood (37) were the only other batsmen to get scores worthy of note as all the others fell cheaply.

For the bowling side, Motie led from the front as the chief destroyer and was well supported by spinners Junior Sinclair (2/33) and Richie Looknauth (2/29) while Ashmeade Nedd, Mohamed-Ali and Nial Smith took a wicket apiece.

In response at stumps, Motie’s XI was trailing by 180 runs on 46/2 having lost opener Rampertab Ramnauth (24) and night watchman Ronsford Beaton (4). When play resumes today, Tagenarine Chanderpaul (12 not out) and Mavindra Dindyal (6 not out) will resume the innings.

Day 1: Imlach XI won the toss & elected to bat

Scores: Imlach XI 1st Innings- 226 All Out (Nandu 50, Motie 3/8)

(Close of Play) Gudakesh Motie X1: 46 for 2 (12 overs) trail by 180 runs

GUYANA JAGUARS ROAR TO FIVE-WICKET VICTORY OVER LEEWARDS HURRICANES

(Matche Report & Photos: Cricket West Indies)

Guyana Jaguars roared to a five-wicket victory thanks to a brilliant century from the bat of captain Leon Johnson over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the CG Insurance Super50 Cup at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Friday night.

The Hurricanes openers posted the highest first wicket partnership of the tournament so far as Kieran Powell and Ross Powell had a slow but steady start of 152 in 31 overs.

Ross Powell made 61, which included eight fours, but became the first victim for left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who took 4-45 and won the CG Insurance Man-of-the-Match award.

Kieran Powell looked well set to reach triple figures, but on 94 he smacked a drive to Johnson at extra cover to give Motie his second wicket. The knock came off just 97 deliveries, with four fours and four sixes.

There was little resistance left as the Leewards Hurricanes finished their 50 overs on 244-9. Motie was the pick of the Jaguars bowlers while seamer Nial Smith had 3-47 also from 9 overs.

Assad Fudadin and Chanderpaul Hemraj started a cautious run-chase, as they posted 45 before Hemraj was dismissed for 24 off 22 balls. Shimron Hetmyer was run out for nine from a brilliant diving throw-in from Hayden Walsh Jr at point.

But it was the partnership of the most experienced players, captain Johnson and Chris Barnwell that took the game away from the Hurricanes. Barnwell was the aggressor, striking three sixes and a boundary on his way to a valiant 49 before Sheeno Berridge had him slashing behind.

Johnson soldiered on despite battling cramps. He eventually brought up his second List A century in style with a drive to mid-off for a boundary. With Romario Shepherd at the other end, the pair rotated the strike to bring home the Jaguars second victory of the tournament with 2.1 overs remaining.

Johnson’s XI beats Hetmyer’s XI by 2 wickets in 1st Jaguars practice match

In the first practice match which was played at the LBI ground on Monday (January 18), Johnson’s XI won the toss and inserted Hetmyer’s XI to bat. In a match which was initially reduced to 45 overs due to drizzles during the morning hours, Hetmyer’s XI reached 83 for 6 off 23.3 overs when rain actually put a temporary halt to play. On resumption the overs were revised based on time remaining, with Hetmyer’s XI having 11.3 more overs to bat in the match which was further revised to 35 overs a side.

Akshaya Persaud made an entertaining unbeaten 51, inclusive of 2 sixes and 3 fours, to propel his team to 152 all out off 33.3 of their allotted overs. Ricardo Adams supported well with a quickfire 47, in which he slammed 5 sixes and 1 four. The only other batsman to reach double figure was Vishual Singh with 15.

Bowling for Johnson’s XI, West Indies fast bowler Romario Shepherd grabbed 4 for 24 from 5.3 overs, while talented fast bowler Nial Smith claimed 3 for 22 from 6 overs. Gudakesk Motie and Ramaal Lewis took 1 for 26 from 6 overs and 1 for 22 from 7 overs respectively.

In reply. Johnson’s XI under the DLS 4 system required 143 for victory. Jonathan Foo was full of confidence, blazing 35, a knock which included 4 sixes, and one in which he helped to catapult his team’s score to a winning position, with team mates Tevin Imlach and Romario Shepherd contributing valuable
scores of 28 and 15 respectively, allowing for Ramaal Lewis and Gudakesk Motie to complete their team’s winning innings unbeaten on 7 and 3 respectively, as Johnson’s XI reach 145 for 8 from 30 of their allotted 35 overs.

Earlier, opening Trevon Griffith contributed 19, inclusive of 2 fours. Bowling for
Hetmyer’s, XI, Steven Sankar took 4 for 39 from 7 overs, Antony Adams 2 for 12 from 4 overs and Kevin Sinclair 2 for 20 from 7 overs. Leon Johnson’s XI won by 2 wickets.

The next practice matches are scheduled for Wednesday (January 20), and Friday (January, 22) at the LBI facility.