Leon Johnson XI win Guyana trial match
Georgetown, Guyana – Ex-West Indies ODI batsman Leon Johnson stroked a solid half-century to lead his team- Johnson’s XI- to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Barnwell’s XI in the first warm-up game for the senior national cricketers who are preparing to compete in the West Indies Cricket Board’s NAGICO Super50 tournament, starting January 30 in Trinidad and Tobago.
Playing at the Everest Cricket Club ground on Tuesday, Barnwell’s XI, led by West Indies T20 all-rounder Christopher Barnwell, posted 149-8 from the allotted 45 overs.
The right-handed Barnwell led the way with 54, an innings that spanned 64 balls and included four fours and three sixes. All-rounder Zaheer Mohamed (16) and left-handed middle-order batsmen Vishal Singh (13) and Chanderpaul Hemraj (12) were the other players into double-figures as off-spinner Royston Crandon claimed 3-28 from nine overs.
Andre Stoll, Rajiv Ivan and Shaquille Williams bagged a wicket each for Johnson’s XI, who replied with 150-4 from 37 overs. The left-handed Johnson anchored the chase, hitting an unbeaten 58 that included three fours and a solitary six.
Crandon returned to crown a fine all-round performance, scoring 25, while Test batsman Assad Fudadin contributed 24 and Ivan ended on 14 not out. Bowling for Barnwell’s XI, Hemraj picked up 2-28, while Keon Joseph had 1-30.
The players will be in action again on Friday when the second warm-up match will be contested at the same venue.
The matches are being used to give the 26-man squad much needed turf practice as the selectors seek to derive the best possible 14 to represent Guyana at the January 30- February 17 tournament.
The Guyanese will be hunting their 10th regional 50-over title, having last won in 2005 when a Sewnarine Chattergoon century guided them to victory over Barbados in near darkness in the KFC Cup final at the GCC ground, Bourda. Prior to that, Guyana won the title in 1980, 1983, 1985, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2003.
The 26 players still in contention for a place in the final 14 are: Leon Johnson, Devendra Bishoo, Veersammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Robin Bacchus, Assad Fudadin, Zaheer Mohamed, Royston Crandon, Christopher Barnwell, Ronsford Beaton, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Vishal Singh, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tagnarine Chanderpaul, Rajiv Ivan, Amir Khan, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shaquille Williams, Narsingh Deonarine, Trevon Griffith, Keon Joseph, Raun Johnson, Jason Sinclair, Paul Wintz, Rajendra Chandrika and Sewnarine Chattergoon.