CHANDRIKA strokes CENTURY AGAINST T&T TEAM

Georgetown, Guyana - West Indies Test opener Rajendra Chandrika stroked a magnificent hundred and followed up with three wickets on Sunday to lead hosts Enterprise Busta Sports Club (EBSC) A team to a comfortable 84-run win over the visiting GEML Cosmos team of Trinidad and Tobago.

The right-handed Chandrika, who made a forgettable Test debut against Australia in June when he failed to score in both innings, cracked 102 in EBSC A’s 258-8 off the allotted 40 overs and then claimed 3-14 with his off-spin as the visitors crumbled for 174.

“It feels good to be back among the runs. It was my first game since the Test match and I really felt good out in the middle,” Chandrika, who turned 26 earlier this month, told this publication.

The elegant batsman said a batting camp organised by the West Indies Cricket Board in Barbados recently was very helpful to him. “The camp was very good, and it helped me to concentrate harder today [Sunday] and I’m happy that it paid off.”

Chandrika’s knock propelled his side to a solid score, and the fact that he recorded only three fours and six showed that he was prepared to rotate the strike and build an innings. While his innings was the cornerstone of the total, young Vivian Albert smashed a stroke-filled 61, which was decorated with three maximums and four fours.

Bowling for the GEML Cosmos, C. Sookdeo claimed 2-43, while Nicholas Sanasie and DeAngelo Sanasie bagged identical figures of 2-49.

Chandrika and former national all-rounder Zaheer Mohamed then chipped away at GEML Cosmos’ batting, snaring three wickets apiece as they were bowled out in the 38th over. Nicholas Sanasie topscored with 51, while Andre Sewsankar (32), DeAngelo Sanasie (29) and Justin Samkarran (28) chipped in during the run-chase.

On Saturday, GEML Cosmos started their tour of Guyana with victory over EBSC B in a 30-over fixture at the same venue.

Batting first, GEML Cosmos posted 146-6 with Samkarran hitting 43 and DeAngelo Sanasie scoring 28. Pradesh Balkisson picked up 3-21 off six overs for EBSC B, who responded with 139 all out in 29.overs.

Veteran player Latchman Yadram made 53, while DeAngelo Sanasie claimed 3-22 off six overs.

GEML Cosmos will be in action again today, this time against hosts D’Edward, while they will face EBSC A in a 50-over game on Tuesday at Enterprise.

First Published In The Guyana Times.