Guyana Jaguars roar; Volcanoes submerged in first round

2018-2019 CWI Regional 4-Day tournament…

By Brandon Corlette

Four-time defending champions Guyana Jaguars have completed a 125-run victory over the Windward Islands Volcanoes in the day-night pink ball match at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia. Resuming the day on 54-2, requiring another 294 runs to complete an unlikely victory, the Volcanoes batsmen offered more resistance in the second innings, putting the Jaguars captain in defensive mode.
Volcanoes batsmen Taryck Gabriel and Kaveem Hodge started the fourth and final day of the match with a 50-run partnership. The Volcanoes pair batted for 16 overs

before Hodge was removed by the veteran Regional spinner Veerasammy Permaul for 32 off 49 balls. Gabriel batted with a sound technique, but Roland Cato was dismissed eight runs after Hodge, leaving the Volcanoes reeling at 96-4. The young Alick Athanaze partnered Gabriel, and the Volcanoes consolidated; but Permaul, bowling a long spell from the northern end, continued to chip away at the Volcanoes’ base by snaring wickets. After Gabriel was dismissed, trapped by Permaul for a well-played 57 off 124 balls, which included seven boundaries, Athanaze continued to give his team hope; and his partner Dennis Smith was equally brilliant.
Smith partnered Athanze at 114-5, and by manoeuvring the ball in the gaps, the pair picked up ones and two with ease and grace. They added 88 runs in this sixth-wicket partnership before Smith was dismissed for an invaluable 38. In the context of the game, he had held things together.
Smith’s innings, which lasted 68 balls, included six timely fours before he was caught by Permaul off the bowling of Barnwell with the score at 202-6. Meanwhile, Athanaze continued to look comfortable at the crease for the Volcanoes, giving the Jaguars’ bowlers second thoughts regarding wrapping up the match. However, he began to run out of batting partners when Shillingford was dismissed one run later, trapped leg before to the impressive Clinton Pestano for a nine- ball duck, thus reducing the Volcanoes to 203-7.
The Guyana Jaguars bowlers continued to make further inroads in the Volcanoes

side, leaving Athanaze at the non-striker’s end on his half-century. Delron Johnson, who played a hard fought knock in the first innings, was removed by Barnwell for four runs.
Romario Shepherd then took this opportunity to cleanly wrap up the Volcanoes tail. Ray Jordan, batting at number 10, was cheaply removed for 6; and Josh Thomas was out for a duck. The impressive Athanaze was left unbeaten on 64, watching in dismay as his team crumble to 222 all out. Permaul proved to be effective on a seam-friendly wicket, picking up 3-56 from 26 tidy overs that included eight maidens. Romario Shepherd captured 2 for 30; Christopher Barnwell grabbed 2 for 36, while Pestano polished off his four- wicket haul in the first innings with 2 for 49.
The four-time defending champions have maintained an unbeaten run since last season, and will play the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the second round, from December 13 to December 16, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.