Webster, Goolie hit centuries in Red Force trial match

TION WEBSTER and Jyd Goolie each scored centuries for their respective teams, as the Denesh Ramdin XI whipped the Imran Khan XI by 50 runs on Friday, in the second TT Red Force trial match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba.

The Ramdin XI, batting first after winning the toss, posted a score of 276 runs for six wickets off 40 overs (the match was reduced from a 50-overs-per-side affair due to early morning rain) with Webster hitting 127 and fellow opener Keagan Simmons 85. In reply, the Khan XI made 226/7, with Goolie scoring an unbeaten 122.

Webster and Simmons featured in an opening stand of 180 off 26.1 overs, before Webster (96 deliveries, seven fours and eight sixes) was bowled by fast bowler Uthman Muhammed.

Off-spinner Bryan Charles dismissed Isaiah Rajah (ten) and Nicholas Alexis (one) and Goolie, with his leg-breaks, ended Simmons’ knock with the score on 239, in the 37th over. Simmons faced 92 balls and struck six fours.

Goolie got rid of skipper Ramdin (one) while Jarlanie Seales (12) fell to Shaaron Lewis, but Yannic Cariah was unbeaten on 22 and Amir Jangoo on two.

Goolie took 2/17 off two overs and Charles 2/55 off eight.

In their pursuit of 277, Khan opened with Jeremy Solozano and they put on 38 for the first wicket before Khan was removed by pacer Anderson Phillip for 25. Solozano quickly followed for 15, bowled by off-spinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar.

Goolie tried valiantly to keep the Khan XI within touching distance of their required run-rate, but he had little support from the middle-order, as Jason Mohammed (nine), Kirstan Kallicharan (one), Steven Katwaroo (nine), Terrance Hinds (14) and Charles (13) failed to impress.

Goolie put his name in the selectors’ minds with a 97-ball knock, which included nine boundaries and seven sixes.

Jaggesar (2/10 off seven overs), Phillip (2/42 off seven) and leg-spinner Rajah (2/38 off six) were the chief destroyers for the Ramdin XI.

On Wednesday, the Khan XI hammered the Ramdin XI by nine wickets, in their first practice match. The third practice match will be contested at Tarouba on Monday.

The Red Force team are preparing for the Regional Super50 tournament, which is carded from February 4-27 in Antigua.