Fast men impress, as Joseph, Foo slam 50s

May 13, 2009 Sports

The National Under-19 pair of Jonathan Foo and Keon Joseph each scored 59 as all of the fast bowlers impressed on the opening day of the first national Under-19 three-day cricket trial at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary, yesterday.

Pacer Keon Joseph starred with the bat yesterday, hitting an accomplished 59 at Eve Leary. Here he lifts leg-spinner Amir Khan for a huge six.

By the close Royston Alkins’s X1 were 29-0 replying to Anthony Bramble’s X1 225 with Eon Hooper (10) and Harrell Greene (14) the unbeaten batsmen.

On a good pitch in sultry conditions, the 17-year-old Joseph, picked more for his hostile fast bowling, stroked nine four and a six in a well constructed innings which lasted 83 balls and 124 minutes before he was last out, bowled by his national Under-19 teammate, pacer Seon Daniels, who finished with 3-47 from 17.1 overs despite four catches were dropped off his bowling.

Joseph, who drove the ball sweetly along the ground, especially through cover, also lofted leg-spinner Amir Khan back over his head for six and added 71 with Sahadeo Somai (24) for the ninth wicket as they joined forces with their team on 160-8. At that stage Guyana Under-19 speedster Keyron Fraser (4-34) trapped Bramble (4) and left-arm pacer Andre Stoll (0) in the same over.

Foo, like he did when he scored a century in the final round GTM Inter-County game for Berbice against Demerara at Providence last week, lived a charmed life and cut lose with a savage array of shots after being dropped in the slips, before he had scored and on four in the same over off the impressive Daniels.

Foo, with two years regional Under-19 cricket experience under his belt, was also dropped by keeper Dexter Solomon on nine and proceeded to thump 10 fours and 2 sixes, as boundaries accounted for all but seven of his 59 runs, before he was leg before to Fraser. Foo’s innings lasted 79 minutes and 64 balls.

Stoll, also a national Under-19 player, opened the bowling for both teams and removed the openers on Bramble’s side to finish with 2-20 from nine overs of controlled left-arm seam bowling.

The Police swing bowler had Ryan Rajmangal (11) caught behind at 38-1 and then induced the aggressive Quincy Ovid-Richardson, who smashed 3 fours in a cameo 25, to top-edge a skied hook to be caught and bowled at 62-2.

Daniels then got rid of Manoj Pooranauth (14) and the solid Navin Singh (24) in the space of a run to leave the score on 90-4, before Fraser, one of nine players eligible from last year’s tournament, removed Alex Amsterdam (5), when the left-hander tucked a ball off his hip to square-leg at 119-5.

Trevon Griffith (who is in Trinidad with the DCC team) and pacer Rensford Beaton (who is writing 12 CXC subjects) were given permission to be absent from this trial game.