Promising signs as National U-17 cricketers prepare for Regional tournament

The national Under-17 two-day warm-up match between Ramdehol XI and Ram XI concluded in a draw on Tuesday at the La Bonne Intention Ground, but it was not without some notable individual performances.

National batsman Shamar Apple of Ramdehol XI stole the show with a blistering half-century and sharp work behind the stumps, earning him the Player-of-the-Match award.

Batting first after winning the toss, Ramdehol XI posted a respectable 232. Richard Ramdehol anchored the innings with a patient 97 off 175 balls, while opener Parmeshwar Ram contributed a solid 41.

Ram XI’s bowling was led by leg-spinner Navindra Sankar, who claimed 4 for 58, and was ably supported by pacer Shane Prince, who bagged 3 for 24.

In reply, Ram XI surpassed their opponents’ total, piling 327.

The innings was highlighted by a fluent 91 from the 13-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Lomar Seecharran, who continues to impress after scoring 95 in the recent regional Under-15 tournament. Dhanesh Persaud added a gritty 67.

Ramdehol XI’s bowlers fought back late, with off-spinner Romario Ramdehol taking 4 for 26 and Gibran Yacoob chipping in with 3 for 37.

Ramdehol XI declared their second innings at 222 for 4 in 36.5 overs.

Apple’s fantastic display made the aggressive declaration possible. He stole the spotlight with a rapid 69 off 50 balls, an innings that included four fours and four sixes.

He also put on an impressive wicketkeeping performance, executing two sharp stumpings. Adrian Hetmyer also boosted the scoring with an unbeaten 58.

The match, a final preparatory fixture for the national Under-17 squad ahead of the upcoming regional tournament, was designed to fine-tune form and sharpen game awareness.

A second warm-up match will begin on Thursday at the same venue.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Regional Under-17 Tournament is scheduled to take place in Trinidad and Tobago from August 11 to September 2.

This year’s tournament features both Two-Day and 50-over formats. (Modified Press Release from Guyana Cricket Board) 

Guyana Under-17 Squad: Romario Ramdeholl (captain), Parmeshwar Ram (vice-captain), Richard Ramdeholl, Lomar Seecharran, Emmanuel Lewis, Adrian Hetmyer, Shamar Apple (wicketkeeper), Nicholas Lovell, Feeaz Baksh, Dave Mohabir, Navindra Sankar, Gibran Yacoob, Micah Amsterdam, and Darwin Joseph.

Standbys: Vishal Williams, Bhomesh Lall, Johnathan Mentore, Shane Prince, Jathniel Nurse, and Dhanesh Persaud.