National trials …
Arjune and Pooran register half-centuries
Guyana Chronicle
November 27, 2003
KRISHNA Arjune and Homchand Pooran hit dashing half-centuries to fire their chances of making the national side for the 2004 Carib Beer Cricket Series, as Nagamootoo’s side took a commanding lead on day two in the second senior national trials at GCC ground, Bourda, yesterday.
Both batsmen fell short of the prestigious three-figure mark by just a handful of runs, falling prey to off-spinner B. Stephney.
Arjune who made a century in the first trial, lost his wicket for 84 in which he crushed seven fours in 257 minutes off 195 balls. Pooran on the other hand was just eight runs short of the landmark, before he followed. His 92 was decorated with eight fours and two sixes, off 206 balls in 245 minutes.
When bails were lifted Nagamootoo’s side had reached 277 for five, 114 runs ahead of the 163 for nine made by Neil McGarrell’s side the previous day.
For the second wicket, Arjune and Homchand added 169 runs -- the highest partnership of the match.
Resuming the day on 53 for one, the duo carried the score to 174 before Arjune was caught at mid-off, off the bowling of Stephney. Young Leon Johnson then joined Pooran at the wicket and the two carried the score to 201, before Stephney took his second wicket, getting Pooran steps away from his century.
It was here that hard-hitting Lennox Cush who bolted 14 sixes and 12 fours in a quick-fire 143 for his club Malteenoes on Saturday came to the crease, and along with Johnson added 49 runs for the fourth wicket before both went in quick successions for 28 runs to right-arm off-spinner Neil McGarrell. Johnson’s knock consisted of five fours, while Cush made four fours.
At the close of play, Assad Fudadin and Zamal Khan who were selected from Guyana in the West Indies 2003 Under-19 trials were left not out on 13 and 9 respectively.
Stephney finished with two wickets for 58 runs off 23 overs, while McGarrell figures read two wickets for 21 runs off 13 overs.
Eion Katchay was the pick of the two pacers picking up one wicket for 29 runs off 14 overs while his counterpart Reyon Griffith finished 13-4-32-0.