Bramble’s brilliant 168 gives Jaguars honours on opening day

– Volcanoes strike with 3 late wickets, Jaguars 307-6 at stumps

By Brandon Corlette

The opening day of the fourth-round clash at Providence between Guyana Jaguars and Windward Island Volcanoes belonged to Anthony Bramble who notched up an impressive 168. Bramble’s innings included 17 fours and six sixes in 189 minutes. Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who faced the first and final ball of the day, remained unbeaten on 71 off 298 balls with Romario Shepherd on five off 21 balls.
Under clear skies at the National Stadium Providence, Guyana, the Guyana Jaguars Captain, Leon Johnson won the toss and opted to bat first. Chanderpaul

Bramble and Tagenarine featured in a 209-run partnership (Brandon Corlette photo)

and Trevon Griffith trotted out to bat on home turf in their second match this season against the Windward Islands Volcanoes. Windies Test fast bowler Shermon Lewis, who played one Test against India and Bangladesh in 2018, opened the bowling for the Windward Islands Volcanoes.
Guyana Jaguars opened their scoring account when the elegant Griffith stroked a boundary off the right-arm fast bowler. It was a cautious start for the Jaguars scoring 14 runs from the first six overs. The Volcanoes bowlers were disciplined, but not bowling too much waste deliveries; they were rewarded in the eighth over when a lively Josh Thomas playing in his third First-Class match removed Griffith. He was out caught by wicketkeeper Dennis Smith scoring 14 from 19 balls, inclusive of three boundaries.
With the score on 22-1, Johnson walked in at number three to bat and his stay at the crease was a short one. The Jaguars Captain continued to fail; after hitting a timely four, he was removed by Lewis out, caught in the gully for five. After facing six balls, Johnson played a false shot and threw his wicket away, at 27-2 after 8.4 overs.
Shimron Hetmyer then partnered Chanderpaul as the pair looked to bat through the first session, without any further damage done to the batting line-up. The pair safely negotiated until lunch with the score on 68-2 in 26 overs. Hetmyer was on sound timing with the ball that went sweetly around the Providence Stadium.
Two balls after the lunch interval, Hetmyer was brilliantly caught in the slip cordons by Devon Smith off a rebound, from the Volcanoes wicketkeeper. Hetmyer, who lost concentration, played away from his body and was out for a 48-ball 26 that included three fours.
After a 44-run partnership between Hetmyer and Chanderpaul, third-round centurion Bramble, gaining promotion to batting at number five, partnered Chanderpaul at 71-3 in the 27th over. The Berbician went to the batting crease with intent, and he batted around Chanderpaul. Bramble, who is in a rich vein of

Bramble raise his bat after a milestone (Brandon Corlette photo)

form, played some textbook shots that entertained the handful of spectators at Providence.
Playing with a solid technique, he outscored Chanderpaul and converted his half-century into his second consecutive century in this Regional 4-Day tournament. At 13:55h, Bramble brought up his century from 84 balls off the bowling of Alick Athanaze in the 53rd over of the day. The strong Berbician reached the milestone after dumping the off-spinner Athanaze for two consecutive sixes and then a single to bring up his counter-attacking century.
The second session of day one belonged to the Jaguars even though they lost Hetmyer the second ball of the session; Bramble and Chanderpaul were unbeaten at tea, with the score on 212-3 in 59 overs. Bramble made the session his own remaining on 113 from 98 balls at the tea interval while Chanderpaul continued his struggles ending the second session on 43 off 193 balls.
In the third and final session of the day, the Volcanoes bowlers continued to toil, bowling on a flat pitch at Providence. Bramble continued to score runs at ease bringing up another milestone – crossing the 150 barrier. He brought up this milestone in the 71.2 over of the day stroking a Larry Edward ball for a single. Chanderpaul then brought off his painstaking half-century. The left-handed batsman faced 203 dots at that stage in his innings. Chanderpaul hit two fours when he brought up his half-century with a leg glance, which was a two-shot off Josh Thomas.
Bramble continued to punish the Volcanoes bowlers, hitting Kaveem Hodge off the attack, thumping the Volcanoes left-arm spinner for consecutive sixes. The rotation of the strike continued and then the 200-run partnership between Bramble and Chanderpaul came up as the Jaguars continued to frustrate the Volcanoes bowlers.
Josh Thomas, who bowled a wide delivery, found the outside edge of Bramble who was out caught at first slip by the veteran Devon Smith. Bramble departed for a well-played 168 from 151 balls that lasted 189 minutes. His innings included 17 fours and six sixes in his third First-Class century. The 209-run partnership between Bramble and Chanderpaul ended with the score on 280-4.
Sherfane Rutherford came and went, falling two balls later in the same Josh Thomas over. The left handed Rutherford edged one and was caught behind by the wicket-keeper for a duck. One brings two, the familiar phrase in cricket, was shown in the afternoon session of play between Jaguars and Volcanoes. In the 82nd over of the day, tens runs later, a miscommunication between Chanderpaul and Keemo Paul saw a run-out. The Jaguars, playing in their fourth round, saw run-outs in each round. Paul, who is making his return to the Jaguars team, was run out by Dennis Smith for three after facing only eight balls.
The Jaguars slumped to 290-6 from 279-3, with Romario Shepherd partnering Chanderpaul in the 82nd over of the day. Windward Islands Volcanoes found themselves back in the game, picking up three wickets for 10 runs. The Guyana Jaguars pair Chanderpaul and Shepherd safely negotiated after the mini collapse late in the day, ending the opening day in a strong position on 307-6 in 90 overs.
On a day where the bowers toiled, fast-bowler Thomas was the pick of the bowlers with 3-62 in 17 overs while Sherman Lewis and Ray Jordan had one wicket each. The second day’s play will continue today at Providence from 09:30h.