AFTER seeing recalled leg spinner Devendra Bishoo record the best figures by a Guyanese bowler in a first class match, skipper Leon Johnson and all-rounder Christopher Barnwell engineered Guyana’s fight back at the end of the second day of their West Indies Cricket Board Regional four day match against Trinidad and Tobago at the Guyana National Stadium, yesterday.Scores -Trinidad and Tobago 294 Guyana 247 for 7, needing 47 more for first innings points.
Earlier in the day, T&T who lead the points standing with 72 points prior to the contest, began the day on 274 for 8 with Imran Khan on 37 and Amit Jaggernauth 4 and quickly lost Khan, who was caught by Barnwell at extra cover off Bishoo for 44 (106balls, 4×4 113 minutes).
The discarded West Indies leg spinner closed off the innings two overs later, when Jaggernauth picked out Ronsford Beaton at wide mid-on after hitting three fours in his 12, leaving Shannon Gabriel unbeaten on 4, as Bishoo’s 9 for 78 eclipsed Narsingh Deonarine’s 7 for 26 against Barbados two years ago.
Openers Trevon Griffith (23) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (14) added 34 for the first wicket, with Griffith hitting Marlon Richards for two fours in the fourth over of the innings, while Chanderpaul was given a life by Lendl Simmons at slip off Gabriel, with the ball making its way to the boundary.
A tentative push from Griffith saw him edging one through to Stephen Ketwaroo off Gabriel, while debutant Shimron Hetmyer played a lofty drive to Richards at mid-on off Jaggernauth before he had scored, while Guyana went to lunch at 38 for 2 with Johnson on 1 Chanderpaul 14.
After the break, Chanderpaul played a delivery from Jaggernauth into the shin pads of Jonathan Augustus at forward short leg, only to see the ball ricochet back onto his stumps, followed quickly by Vishaul Singh (02), leaving Guyana on 59 for 4.
Anthony Bramble, who has grown leaps and bounds during this tournament with the bat, replaced Singh and added 30 for the fifth wicket with Johnson, who had earlier struck Jaggernauth over his head for four, followed by a six back over his head.
However, Bramble, who was oozing with confidence, went down the wicket to a well flighted delivery from Jaggernauth, to which he played all around same and was bowled, at which point Barnwell came to the fore and partnered Johnson, adding 80 for the sixth wicket.
They took Guyana to tea at 144 for 5, with Johnson who posted his 16th first class half century from 96 balls with three fours and one six while batting for 117 minutes, on 56 while Barnwell, who was given a life by Gabriel off Khan when on 14, on 28.
After tea, Barnwell got back to back fours off Emrit, while Johnson steered the same bowler through the slips cordon, before Barnwell got his fourth first class and first half century for this season from 88 minutes batting in which he faced 85 balls and struck seven fours, before he was lbw to Emrit three balls later at 169 for 6.
Zaheer Shadir joined Johnson who looked set to post his second ton at this level for Guyana following his 110 in the previous match against the Leeward Islands and they added 44 for the seventh wicket, with Shadir hitting Jaggernauth over long on for 6.
In his attempt to steer Jaggernauth to the vacant third man position, Johnson got an edge through to Ketwaroo, handing the wicketkeeper his third catch of the innings, while at the same time offering Jaggernauth his fourth wicket.
Johnson’s 78 took him 169 balls to accumulate while batting for 193 minutes wherein he struck five fours and one six and at his dismissal, Guyana were 213 for 7, which they increased to 247 at the close with Shadir and Bishoo on 39 and 18, respectively.
