Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 89 give Guyana 1st innings points

Feb 21, 2010 Sports

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Coach still disappointed with shot selection of batsmen

By Sean Devers in Trinidad In association with TCL Group & Splashmin’s Resort

Prolific Guyanese Test batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul again showed his ability to grind bowlers into the dust with an unbeaten 89 but although 3 other batsmen got to 40 none reached fifty as Guyana took first innings points from the Leeward Islands yesterday on the 2nd day of their Regional 4-Day cricket match at the National Cricket Centre (NCC) in Couva.
Replying to the Islanders’ 192, Guyana, who began the day on 45-2, reached 266-9 by the close enjoying a lead of 74 with the dependable Chanderpaul, in his 250th First-Class match, leading the way with an expertly constructed inning which has so far lasted 251 balls, 328 minutes with 9 fours.
Chanderpaul and Wicketkeeper Derwin Christian, who survived 3 chances to make an entertaining 45, added 93 for the 5th wicket after joining forces at 130-4 when Assad Fudadin threw his wicket away for an impressive 45.
Chanderpaul did not hit a single ball in the air before he reached his 92nd fifty at this level and put together 66 with Fudadin for the 4th wicket. Even after he was well set, the left-hander from Unity on the East Coast of Demerara played each ball on its merit although he increased his strike-rate towards the end of the day as the Islanders looked increasingly tired in the sweltering heat.
Gajanand Singh, who resumed the day unbeaten on 27, played some attractive shots before he was bowled by pacer Brent DeFreitas at 64-3 and it took the experience and common sense of the 35-year-old Chanderpaul to see Guyana to 1st innings points before the South Americans slumped from 222-4.
Leg spinner Anthony Martin has so far taken 4-55 while DeFreitas (2-45) and Justin Athanaze (2-55) have offered support for the Leewards.  When play resumed, Singh brought up the 50 with consecutive boundaries off DeFreitas in the first over and along with fellow left-hander Fudadin added 27 for the 3rd wicket after they had joined forces on the first afternoon when Rajendra Chandrika was run out for 2 at 37-2. Singh attacked the bowlers while Fudadin was more subdued.
Singh upper-cut DeFreitas for 4 before he was bowled next ball. His 40 lasted 77 minutes, 65 balls and was decorated with 7 fours.
Chanderpaul, one of 6 left-handers in the Guyana team, joined Fudadin on another day blessed glorious sunshine and another disappointing crowd watched as the pair took their team to 89-3 by the first water break.   By lunch Guyana had progressed to 120-3 with Fudadin on 36 and Chanderpaul on 21 with 73 required for first innings points.
After the interval, Fudadin continued to bat solidly while Chanderpaul, content to nudge the ball into gaps and not play at balls which did not challenge his stumps from the spinners, began the frustrate a very limited Leewards bowling attack.
Like he has done some many times in his career at this level, Fudadin threw his wicket away when well set; this time to an impetuous drive to mid-off to give off-spinner Justin Athanaze a wicket at 130-4. Fudadin, still without a First Class ton from 30 matches, fell 5 short of what would have been his 7th fifty at this level and his manner of dismissal must be a cause for concern for the talented left-hander. His 45 lasted 151 balls, 157 minutes and included 7 fours.
The usually attacking Christian got off the mark with a single off his first ball and then took another 19 balls for his 2nd scoring shot; a four which went through the hands of Dennison Browne at mid-off. The wicketkeeper celebrated his luck with a scorching straight drive all along the ground next ball as Athanaze flighted.
Bowling to Chanderpaul was like bowling to a huge stone wall and deft little paddle sweeps, pushes to cover and cuts behind point were his main scoring shots while his ability to leave balls just fractionally off line emphasized the temperament that has made him a virtual batting machine.
A firm tug off his legs for 4 followed by a single to mid-wicket got him to his 92nd First Class fifty from 125 balls, 163 minutes with 7 fours and not once did he hit the ball in he air.
Christian was again dropped on 19 when Wilden Cornwall failed to hold a bullet-like straight drive off his own bowling.
Chanderpaul and Christian took Guyana past the Leewards’ total with their half-century partnership.  A pugnacious cover-drive for 4 off Omari Banks by Christian gave Guyana 1st innings points.  Christian was dropped for the third time on 27 when he pulled Banks to deep mid-wicket even as Chanderpaul continued to play responsibly and pick the gaps.
By Tea Guyana were 212-4 with a lead of 20 runs with Chanderpaul on 58 and Christian on 39.
After the break the 26-year-old Christian lofted Martin over long-off for 4 before offering the bowler a tame return catch in his next over as Guyana lost their 5th wicket in the 5th over after tea with their score on 222. Christian’s 45 came from 120 minutes, 81 balls with 7 fours before he fell 5 short of his 3rd 50 at this level.
Esuan Crandon, strangely promoted ahead of Zaheer Mohamed who made an unbeaten half-century in the last game, was then removed for a duck by Athanaze as Guyana slumped from 222-4 to 231-7.
Veerasammy Permaul (8) did not last long and was leg before to Martin at 254-8 and Chanderpaul, like has been the case so many times at the International level, in danger of running out of partners and when Davendra Bishoo was caught at short leg for a duck Guyana were 258-9 and Chanderpaul on 78.
While a Brian Lara might have launched a vicious onslaught on the bowlers with the last pair at the crease, Chanderpaul values his wicket very highly and continued to bat in a watchman-like fashion although he made a consorted effort to palm the strike with singles off the penultimate or last balls of the over while refusing easy singles in the early stages of the over.
Chanderpaul, who hit the last ball of the day for 4, starts today 11 runs away from his 52nd First Class century and on a track expected to offer more assistance to the bowlers today and tomorrow, Guyana, the only team this season without a win, are in a very good position to force for a victory at the half-way stage of the contest.
After an improved bowling performance on the opening day and achieving first innings points yesterday Coach Ravindra Seeram told Kaieteur Sport that Chanderpaul’s presence has had a big impact on the team but still feels that batsmen are not dealing ‘mentally’ with this level of cricket.  “We had a long camp with lots of coaches and also dealt with the metal aspects of the cricket so I am at a loss as to figure out why these guys, who are all talented, are not learning faster. Our batsmen have let us down while the bowlers have been inconsistent in our first set of matches,” Seeram said.
The former Guyana First Class batsmen was however pleased with the overall improvement but lamented that although there has been plenty of talk about shot selection and keeping the ball on the ground the batsmen continue to gave their wickets away.
“We have batsmen who are set and not going on. Look at the manner some of them are being dismissed….caught at mid-off in Fudadin’s case. Shiv played almost every ball he hit on the ground and we are talking about these things. I don’t know what happens when they (batsmen) cross the rope,” Seeram added.
The Coach said that while his team is still confident of their first win this season he would have liked a lead of 150 since Guyana did not want to be batting last for too long on a pitch which is expected to make life difficult for batsmen on the final day.
Meanwhile in scores from the other games:
Barbados vs Jamaica –
Jamaica were 65/4 at stumps trailing by 2 runs in their second innings: (Lambert 4*, Baugh 11*, Hyatt 2, Pagon 3, Bonner 8, Parchment 28; Wkts: Collins 2, Edwards 1, Benn 1)
Jamaica made 226 batting first (Bernard 55; Edwards 6/41); Barbados replied with 293 (Richards 67, Benn 54; Lambert 3/63).
T&T vs Windwards –
T&T 136/1 at stumps Lead by 211: (Barath 49*, D.Ganga10*, Guillen 60;Wkts: Shillingford 1)
First innings – T&T 263 (Barath 59, S.Ganga 39; Lewis 5/81); Windwards 188 (Fletcher 61; Jaggernauth 4/58)

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