Roopnarine, Fernandes finally produce on judgment day Guyana 20-member U-17 training squad selected

Sep 19, 2008 Sports

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By Sean Devers
Many who have followed the careers of talented batsmen Dayanand Roopnarine

and Delon Fernandes had their names penciled in the Guyana under-17 cricket team at the start of the final National 50-over trial match at DCC yesterday.

However, the people that mattered (the three selectors) only had string of low scores in the CLICO Inter-County competition and the first two trials matches and chances of the pair being selected looked bleak.

By the end of yesterday’s play, Roopnarine, with a commanding 77 and Fernandes who stroked a classy 61 should have done enough on ‘judgment day’ to book a place in the 20 man-squad which was selected yesterday afternoon and which should be announced early next week.

The left-handed pair, the only batsmen to score half-centuries in the three trial matches, played an array of audacious shots in their entertaining 101-run third wicket partnership to spearhead Solomon’s X1 to a five-wicket victory against Harrinarine Chattergoon’s X1.

The pair joined forces with their team on 63-3 replying to the 193-7 made by Chattergoon’s X1 and launched a calculated attack on the three top spinners in the match with eye-catching batting on a flat track as their team reached 223-5 when the 50 overs expired.

West Indies under-15 leg spinner Amir Khan (9-0-42-1), left-arm spinner Treston Carmichael (9-0-38-2) and off-spinner Ricardo Devers (8-1-35-0) felt the brunt of the attack as Roopnarine, who also looked confident against national under-19 pacer Keon Joseph (6-1-46-0) and Fernandes, shrugged off their recent failures to return to form when it most mattered.

Roopnarine, who hit seven glorious fours and six each off Devers (the top bowler in the Inter-county competition) and Carmichael, faced 128 balls before he threw his wicket away by lofting Carmichael to long-off with victory in sight.

Fernandes, left out of the Demerara team when the CLICO competition began, hammered seven elegant fours in his 75-ball knock before he too gifted his wicket with an injudicious drive off Carmichael to cover. But by then victory was assured and their talent was well advertised.

When play began Chattergoon, who has failed to reach double figures since his first innings 40 in Berbice’s CLICO first round match, continued his poor form when he was sent packing for six at 22-1 by pacer Seon Daniels.

Daniels, who continues to improve, removed Kamal Ramkissoon (14) at 55-2 while pacer Kevin Ogle (6-1-15-2) got rid of Clinton Pestano (9) and Quincy Ovid-Richardson (28) as Chattergoon’s X1 slipped to 61-3.

Ovid-Richardson again failed to build on a solid start with his penchant to flay the bowlers but his scores in the CLICO and trial matches makes him the leading opening batsman on show.

Kwame Crosse, another talented batsman without much runs, pulled a short ball from Ogle to square-leg after making a single and the disappointment of another soft dismissal was evident as he left the sward at 83-5.

Jamally Odle again showed his class with two fours in 31 before he too gave his wicket away with a catch to mid-off driving at off-spinner Jomal Lafleur at 115-6 before the seventh wicket pair of Arif Habib (37) and pacer Sharmindra Hardial (39) featured in a 71-run partnership before Hardial clipped pacer Kevin Fredericks to forward-square.

Hardial showed the type of common sense missing from most of the top order batsmen and struck two fours and a six in his 54-ball innings while Habib who played firmly down the ground, was guilty of not pressing on when well set in his unbeaten 37 from 79 balls as La Fleur had a tidy spell of 9-2-16-2.

Herell Greene, the leading run scorer in the CLICO tournament, again looked good despite being struck on his arm by the genuinely quick but wayward Joseph and struck three fours in his 47-ball 21 before he lofted Khan to mid-off.

Left-arm pacer Andre Stoll had removed both Dominique Rikhi (2) and Shameer Fazal (0) with the score on 22 before Roopnarine and Fernandes joined forces to most likely bat their way into the squad as only Stoll (6-1-20-2) of the bowlers used conceded less than four runs per over.

Against an attack which comprised Joseph, Stoll, Khan, Devers and Carmichael, the ease with which the runs were scored emphasized the fluency and confidence of the stroke-play at a time when the quality of batting at this level is a major concern.

Despite not enjoying a good day yesterday Joseph, Khan and Devers should have done enough in the recent past to easily their book places in the squad while Chattergoon potential should gain him a place also.

It is understood that former West Indies pacer Reon King could be in line for the job of Guyana under-17 Coach and yesterday showed that there is also plenty of work to be done with the bowlers during preparations as Guyana get ready to travel to Trinidad in December for the regional under-17 competition.

The possible 20-man squad:-D Solomon (Captain), H Chattergoon, H Greene, Q Ovid-Richardson, J Odle, D Roopnarine, D Fernandes, C Pestano, J LaFleur, A Stoll, S Daniels, A Khan, K Joseph, R Devers, A Adams, R Beaton, T Carmichael, S Hardial, K Fredericks, K Crosse.

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