Rain hits final national cricket trial National Carib Cup squad to be named next Friday
By Sean Devers at Bourda
Stabroek News
November 29, 2003
Under overcast skies at Bourda Thursday the umpires called off the final day of the second and final four-day national cricket trial after lunch as the final day was washed out without a ball being bowled.
When the penultimate day ended on Thursday Neil McGarrell's X1 were 53-1 in their second innings against Mahendra Nagamootoo's X1 with the players hoping for a final chance to stake a claim for selection on the national team for the 2004 regional first-class season which starts on January 9 with four first-round games.
Scores in the final trial game - McGarrell's X1 163-9 declared and 53-1, Nagamootoo's X1 339-9 declared.
On a day marred by rain, the entire first session was also washed out on Thursday owing to seepage under the covers caused by heavy early and mid-morning showers in the City, and play did not commence until 1:pm.
Resuming on their second day score of 277-5, Nagamootoo's X1 declared at tea when two wickets fell without a run being scored.
Teenager Assad Fudadin, who struggled to get the ball away on the heavy outfield, added just two runs to his overnight 13 before he was dismissed at 296-6.
All-rounder Lalchand Persaud joined West Indies under-19 off-spinning all-rounder Zamal Kahan, who began the third day on nine and added 43 for the seventh wicket on the easy-paced track with some turn for the spinners.
Off-spinner Imran Jafferally, who has looked the best of the specialist off spinners in the inter-county competition, sent back Persaud for 28 with four fours from 49 balls to leave the score on 339-7.
Khan who reached the boundary four times in his 97 ball and 81 minute knock of 45 was soon bowled by pacer Rayon Griffith without addition to the score at which time the declaration was made.
McGarrell finished with 3-40 while Essequibo leg spinner Brian Stephney supported with 2-58 for McGarrell's X1 who lost Sewnarine Chattergoon for 18 in their reply.
The left handed Chattergoon cut fast bowler Reon Thomas hard to point where 16-year-old schoolboy Leon Johnson took a brilliant catch on the second attempt as the first wicket fell with the score on 26.
Ryan Ramdas (12) and the experienced Travis Dowlin (15) then saw their team to the close of the third day without further loss.
The national selectors (Joe Soloman, Alfred Maycock and Lennox Hunte) are expected to name the 20-man Guyana squad next Friday since they are awaiting the selection of the West Indies under-13 side to participate in the 2004 Carib Cup.
West Indies vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and fellow Guyanese Shivnarine Chanderpaul who are on West Indies duty, should be available for Guyana from the fifth round of the Carib Cup competition.
West Indies under-23 and Kenya will join the six regional teams that will participate in the Carib Cup and the West Indies under-23 side is expected to be named next Thursday.
Batsmen Narsingh Deonarine, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Damadar Daesrath, along with bowlers Hemnarine Harrinarine, Eusan Crandon and Reon Thomas are the first class players eligible for selection on the West Indies under-23 side.
According to Soloman, the former West Indies test batsman, the West Indies under-19 will be selected first from the best under-23 players in the region after which the respective regional teams will be picked.
It is understood that once a player is selected for the West Indies colts side they will not be available for their country unlike in previous years when the respective regional teams were allowed to pick their strongest side and the West Indies 'B' team was selected from the players not selected for their country's team.
A cricket board source informed that for a player to be eligible to represent the West Indies under-23 team they had to be under the age of 23 years old by the end of January 2004.
It was also disclosed that the under-23 players who have played test cricket will not be considered for the West Indies under-23 team but should be available for their respective country's team when they return by the second week in February 2004 from the South Africa tour by the West Indies.