Skipper Vishaul Singh stroked a match-winning century while Vice-Captain Steven Jacobs chipped in with a defiant half-century, remarkably piloting their team to a massive come-from-behind two-wicket win over the Leon Johnson-led XI.
It was the first of two four-day practice matches organised by the Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI). Played at the Bourda Cricket ground, the all-rounder Jacobs struck nine fours in his 68 sharing a mammoth 152-run partnership with his skipper who weighed in with a classy 109 off 242 balls inclusive of 11 fours, the only century of the match, as they soared to 336-8 in 98.5 overs. This was in reply to the Johnson’s XI 334. Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul toiled and worked dearly for his six wickets as his 39 overs yielded 126 runs, but his team was unable to draw first blood in the two-match series.
When the chase began for Vishaul Singh’s XI, the overnight pair of Tagenarine Chanderpaul (13) and Kandasammy Surujnarine (14) took the score to 38 before the younger Chanderpaul was bowled by Permaul. Surujnarine struck four boundaries before he was run out by Trevon Griffith soon after leaving the score on 62-2.
Shimron Hetmyer who was in need of runs knuckled down and batted maturely for his 50 which aided greatly in the successful chase.
