…Johnson 165, Singh 100, Charles 5-134 highlight day 2
By John Ramsingh at Tarouba
A career best score from Leon Johnson and a second century of the season from Vishaul Singh ensured that the Guyana Jaguars remain in control of their round four match of the Cricket West Indies Regional four-day tournament at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad on Friday. At stumps on day two, after the Jaguars declared their first innings on 484 for 8, the home crawled to 51 without
Red Force bowling hero, Bryan Charles (centre) is crowded by his team mates after getting the breakthrough on his way to a maiden five-fer
loss trailing by 433 runs after batting for 19 overs in their first innings with the openers not taking any chances on the pitch that’s playing low and slow. In all, 290 runs were scored for just six wickets in a full day’s play. The first session began in scorching sunshine and saw the Jaguars only scoring 67 runs from the 25 overs. During the otherwise sedate period, the Jaguars were on course for a third batting bonus point but were denied by defensive bowling. The visitors might have decided to go for the extra point a bit too late but with the score on 296 for 2 after 109 overs it was still possible. However, Jason Mohammed deliberately bowled the next six balls wide outside the off stump to which Singh could not get the ball away and the over ended at the same score. The next over was bowled by Charles and Johnson took 10 runs from it including two boundaries to bring up 300 runs for the defending champions and the 100-run partnership with Singh. It was a spicy period of play going into the interval and Charles almost had revenge in his next over but substitute fielder, Khary Pierre floored the chance offered by the Jaguars captain. At the end of the session, the crafty Singh had brought up his 12th First Class half century from 128 balls with four boundaries. In the session, Johnson moved from 106 to 136, Singh from 22 to 50 and the partnership from 39 to 105. After the interval, in the 129th over, Johnson who was on 141 hit Charles back over his head for his 16th boundary to go past his previous highest score of 144 and to bring up the 350 and the plan to up the tempo was clear. In the competitive second session, the Jaguars scored 102 runs for the loss of four wickets.
In his 52nd First Class match, Singh in particular was more positive in playing shots on both sides of the wicket and down the ground to reach another milestone. After running out of partners in St. Kitts in round three to finish on 97 not out, the left-hander was not going to miss out again. He faced 210 balls to bring up his eighth First Class century and fourth against Trinidad and Tobago with seven boundaries. However, after reaching three figures disaster struck. In the very next over bowled by the off-spinner Charles, Singh got a healthy edge through to wicketkeeper Jangoo and the 183-run partnership was broken. It was Johnson’s second 100-plus partnership after putting on 174 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on day one. Two balls later, wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble, who came ahead of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, was adjudged LBW to trigger a collapse and suddenly the Red Force were back in the contest.
Johnson who passed 150 from 334 balls with 17 fours was next to go. He flicked a ball from the confident Charles straight to Jason Mohammed at midwicket after hitting 18 boundaries from 360 balls and suddenly the champions were shaken having lost three wickets for three runs in 12 balls. Shiv Chanderpaul was joined by Keemo Paul and they saw the 400 coming up in the 143rd over however, the man of the moment, Charles will strike again. Bowling from the southern end of the ground, the off-spinner got slight turn away from Chanderpaul and the ball just clipped the off stump. At that stage, Charles and the home team had bagged four quick wickets for 12 runs. Teenagers, Paul and Sherfane Rutherford then saw their team to the end of the session at 414 for 6 from 147 overs. The day’s final session began with still 33 overs remaining in the day’s play and in the second over after the break, Rutherford was bowled by a persistent Imran Khan. Paul was then taken on the long on boundary, after hitting a couple of fours and sixes, to give Charles his maiden five-wicket haul in his 10th First Class match. Left-arm spinners, Veerasammy Permaul (1×4) and Gudakesh Motie (1×6) then put on a quick fire unbroken 39-run partnership for the ninth wicket before the declaration at 484 for 8 leaving the Red Force to negotiate 19 overs under the lights. Play resumes at 14:00h today.
Meanwhile, in the other round four games; The Leeward Islands Hurricanes are 209-6 in their first innings replying to Jamaica Scorpions first innings score of 342 at Warner Park and at the Arnos Vale Play Field, the Windward Islands Volcanoes are 151-5 in their first innings replying to 360 made by Barbados Pride in their first knock. Today is day three as well in both matches.
