Set a target of 165 to beat the Windward Islands Volcanoes, the Guyana Jaguars began the fourth and final day just 61 runs away with two set batsmen at the crease and six wickets in hand but were bowled out for 164 ending the game in a dramatic tie at Providence on Sunday.
Umpire Christopher Taylor raises the dreaded index finger to end the match in dramatic fashion as a famous tie (John Ramsingh photo)
Former West Indies off-spinner, Shane Shillingford picked up four of the six wickets to tumble on the final morning to end the innings with 5 for 47 and match with 9 for 83 to win the Man of the Match prize.
It was only the second instance of a tie in Regional First Class cricket after the Trinidad and Tobago and the Combined Islands match in 1975 at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain.
The final morning of the sixth round match of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Digicel Regional Four-Day Tournament began with overnight batsmen Vishaul Singh (48) and Amthony Bramble (10) well set to take the three-time defending champions to their fifth win this season.
However, a spirited Volcanoes side with other ideas crashed the party by picking up the remaining six wickets with relative ease for just 46 runs.
After Vishaul Singh brought up his fourth 50-plus score this season and 12th of his career, the Shane Shillingford show began. Singh was half forward to a full delivery from the tall off-spinner and was sent on his way by umpire Christopher Taylor after putting on 30 runs with Bramble.
At 118 for 5, the Jaguars were 47 runs away with all day to bat as the capable Sherfane Rutherford joined Bramble in overcast conditions. The left-handed Rutherford got off the mark immediately but two balls later he edged a wide
Man of the Match Shane Shillingford with the match ball that brought him success
delivery from left-arm seamer Delorn Johnson to the right of Roland Kato at first slip who put in the dive and came up with the catch on the second attempt with victory still 44 runs away.
Next in and out was Keemo Paul who charged down the track from the non-strikers end and was at the point of no return when Kato, this time at short cover, made no mistake in hitting the stumps directly after Bramble drove firmly but straight to him as panic stepped in.
The experienced Veerasammy Permaul then came to the crease and together with Bramble they looked comfortable to the bowling of Kyle Mayers and Shillingford take the Jaguars within seven runs of victory as the drizzles began.
Permaul then tried to heave Shillingford over his head only to offer the Dominican an easy return catch with still seven runs to get.
Two balls later, a pumped up Shillingford then completed a golden pair for left-handed batsman Gudakesh Motie who followed a sharp turning ball and edged it to slip where the safe pair of hands of Devon Smith were waiting. In the first innings, Motie was dismissed in the same manner from the first delivery he faced.
Bramble then shielded last man Keon Joseph while picking up a few singles and a double but at 164 for 9, Umpire Taylor halted the match to confirm the scores with the official scorers which took a longer than normal process and the very next ball Bramble was late in playing to a straight ball from Shillingford and was out leg before wicket and the Volcanoes erupted in celebrations.
The Jaguars took 10.8 points from the match to move to 97.2 points and still on top of the table while the Volcanoes gathered 11 points move to 32.8 and also remain unmoved from the bottom position.
The Jaguars will now host the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in a day/night round seven contest also at Providence beginning on Thursday while the Volcanoes will return to the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium to host the Jamaican Scorpions.
