Latest update April 12th, 2026 12:50 AM
T&T’s Simmons hit 71 on day one against National U-19s
By Sean Devers
Playing at famous Bourda which no longer hosts Regional games, 16 year-old Opener Keagan Simmons stroked a cultured 71 and shared in three useful partnerships on the opening day of the two-day encounter between the Trinidad &Tobago Academy team and defending Regional U-19 Champions Guyana yesterday.
T&T’s National U-19 player Keagan Simmons on the go during his accomplished 71 at Bourda yesterday.
By the close Guyana were 84-3 after bowling out the visitors from 198 just after Tea of the developmental game for the T&T Academy side which is on an eight-day tour of Guyana.
In the first of four matches, the visitors, with four players who participarted in this year’s Regional U-19 fifty overs tournament in Jamaica, were off to solid start as the left-handed Simmons, the nephew of West Indies batsman Lendl Simmons and Trevon James who hit five fours in 31 was removed by Balchand Baldeo.
A run later Akenie Adams got rid of Kristoff Lewis (1) before Simmons and burly left-hander Jean-Paul Rockie (24) took the score to Lunch to 100-2 with Simmons looking good on 43 and Rockie on 23.
After the interval, Rockie, who reached the boundary four times and added 46 for the third wicket with Simmons, was brilliantly caught at point by Sherfane Rutherford to give left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd his first of four scalps and leave the score on 105-3.
T&T’s Trevon James cuts for four during his 64-run first-wicket stand with Keagan Simmons at Bourda yesterday.
Simmons, who was strong on the drives through the off-side, put together a further 40 runs with Joshua Da Silva (17) for the fourth wicket before Da Silva fell to Adams, one of three left-arm spinners in the Guyana team as the lads from Carnival Country slipped to 145-4.
After hitting nine delightful boundaries and looking well set for a ton, Simmons hit Adams to short cover at 148-5 and although the strapping T&T National U-19 pacer Quammie Khalawan hit a cameo 27 with a four and two sixes, one which ended on Regent Street off Baldeo and Byran Boodram (13), another player who participated in this year’s U-19 tournament in Jamaica, departed in quick succession, Nedd quickly wrapped up the tail to finish with 4-18. The son of former First-Class off-spinner Gavin Nedd got support from Adams (3-27) and Skipper Travis Persaud (2-23).
Guyana lost Ronaldo Renee (5) LBW to Jalani Seales with 16 runs on the board but Raymond Perez (25) and Baldeo (32) repaired the early damage with their 46-run partnership before Baldeo, who stroked five fours and a six and was especially severe on spinner Emlio Gopaul, was trapped in front to Boodram at 62-2.
Eight runs later, Perez, who overcame a testing period against the three-prong pace attack of Seales, Khalawan and Mohamed, all six-footers, threw his wicket away when he skied an irresponsible flick to Skipper Varendra Jagroop and was taken at mid-on.
Sherfane Rutherford and Parmesh Parsotan saw their team to the close. Today is the second day and play starts at 09:30 hrs.
The visitors will face the National U-19 team in a 50-over game at Bourda on Tuesday before facing Demerara U-19s at Wales on December 15 and play their final game on December 17 at Albion when take on Berbice U-19s.
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