Hooper takes 6-22 in practice match

Dec 21, 2011 Sports

Two more matches set for today at Bourda

Twenty-year-old Eon Hooper grabbed 6-22 but then struggled to get the ball off the square when he batted in a practice match for the national t20 team which lacked intensity at Bourda yesterday.
Narsingh Deonarine top scored with 45 from 36 balls and Sewnarine Chattergoon made 21 as Chris Barnwell’s X1 reached 121-8 off their 20 overs on a slow track in sweltering heat as Hooper ripped through the batting order with his off-spin.
Veerasammy Permaul’s X1 then responded with 92-9 off 20 overs as Rajendra Chandrika led the way with 32 from 59 balls despite a cameo 22 towards the end of the innings from the Skipper which included three fours and a six off Deonarine.

Eon Hooper took 6-22 but then struggled to get the ball away when he batted in a practice match which lacked intensity at Bourda yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)

The Guyanese who for the first time failed to qualify for the semi-finals of a regional t20 competition this year after losing all four of their matches in the Champions League tournament in South Africa last year, were without Test players Devendra Bishoo and Shiv Chanderpaul for their practice match yesterday and the overall quality of play and attitude of many of the players left much to be desired as the team prepare for this year’s Caribbean t20 tournament in Antigua and Barbados from January 9-22.
Guyana, the inaugural Stanford t20 champions in 2006, lost to Jamaica in the 2008 semis before winning the 2010 competition with a sensational win against Barbados in the Final in Trinidad but a crucial loss to the Windwards this year in Barbados left them out of the ‘final four’ for the first time at this level in Regional cricket.
Today the Guyanese play two more practice games at Bourda against a Rest team before playing another practice match tomorrow at the same venue as they continue their preparations for next year’s competition in which they face Canada in their opening game in Antigua on January 9.
A fitness test is organized for the players on Friday before they break camp for Christmas before they resume their preparations on December 28 and play their last practice match for the year on December 30.
The Guyanese oppose Jamaica at Albion on January 5 and at Providence the next evening in two warm-up games before they wing out for Antigua.
Bishoo, who is recovering from an injury, is expected to join the team after tomorrow but is unlikely to be included in Friday’s fitness test which should involve Chanderpaul.
Chanderpaul was allowed to miss the first set of practice matches to travel to Florida for a business trip but took the time in the USA to score an unbeaten 80-ball 151 in a feature t20 match opening the batting for the Sarasota Cricket Club against the Springbooks Cricket Club.
Barnwell will captain Guyana for the first time, while Permaul is his Vice-Captain in a team without regular Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan who is expected to meet with Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) officials this afternoon at Bourda.