Jaguars close in on victory, requiring 145 runs on final day

2018-2019 Regional 4-Day Tournament…

By Brandon Corlette

The penultimate day at Providence Stadium, East Bank Demerara, was an eventful one; Guyana Jaguars ended the day in command on 25-0, chasing 170 runs for victory. Earlier, Jaguars were bowled out for 321, giving Scorpions a lead of 37. In reply the jaded Jamaica Scorpions were bundled out for 132, thanks to three-wicket hauls from Raymon Reifer and Gudakesh Motie.
Jaguars resumed the day on 203-5 with Christopher Barnwell on 22 and Raymon Reifer on five. Right-arm fast bowler Derval Green began proceedings from the players pavilion end as Barnwell started the morning in fine fashion, stroking a boundary.
The first hour belonged to the Jaguars but left-arm chinaman bowler, Dennis Bulli removed Reifer for 27 from 52 balls. Reifer hit four boundaries; when Bulli got a delivery to turn and bounce, squaring up Reifer as the ball took the outside edge. Jermaine Blackwood completed the sharp catch to end the 65-run partnership between Reifer and Barnwell, with the score on 252-6. The Providence pitch showed signs of uneven bounce due to moisture from previous rainfall.
In came Anthony Bramble at number eight after the drinks break; Bramble got off the mark immediately with a single; Barnwell then took strike. Bulli made a mess of Barnwell’s stumps as Barnwell was attempting to cut a ball that kept low and turned sharp, hitting low on leg stumps.
That ended Barnwell’s fighting 118-minute innings of 42 from 99 balls that included four boundaries, with the Jaguars sliding to 253-7 after 94.5 overs. The two Berbicians – Bramble and Romario Shepherd – were at the crease with Jaguars still trailing by 105 runs when the two joined forces.
An introduction of Rovman Powell from the Northern end saw the demise of Shepherd who attempted to play forward to a ball that zipped back late and trapped the big Berbician out leg before. Shepherd scored 18 from 32 balls hitting three fours; Jaguars were reduced to 305-8 when the Bramble-Shepherd 52 run partnership concluded.
Jaguars reached lunch on 316-8 in 111 overs. Bramble was unbeaten on 43* from 51 balls while Permaul was on three, in the morning session that produced 113 runs and three wickets. Jerome Taylor began proceedings post lunch and the first delivery he trapped Veerasammy Permaul for three, at 316-9.
It was Gudakesh Motie, the final Jaguars batsman who scored two runs, edging Taylor behind as the innings concluded. Jaguars scored 321 all out in 113.3, giving Scorpions a lead of 37. Anthony Bramble was left stranded on 45 from 54 balls, hitting five boundaries in his unbeaten innings. Former test quick, Taylor ended with 3-27 from 14.2 overs while Dennis Bulli had 3-91 in 27 overs. Rovman Powell had two wickets while Derval Green and Jermaine Blackwood had one wicket each.
Scorpion’s openers Chadwick Walton and Oraine Williams went out to bat enjoying a lead of 37. Romario Shepherd and Raymon Reifer shared the new ball as Reifer made an impact in his first over of the second innings. Reifer removed Williams out bowled, breaking the stumps from a full in-swinging ball, forcing Guyanese umpire Javed Persaud to replace the broken stumps.
It was a horrific start for the Jamaicans, losing a wicket without a run on the board; with Brandon King the next batsman in, he was called off the field as Jermaine Blackwood went out to bat at number three. The ever-aggressive Blackwood was stuck at the crease and was out bowled by Christopher Barnwell with the Scorpions on 57-2. Blackwood was out for 23 from 34 balls, hitting three boundaries.
After the 57-run partnership between Blackwood and Walton, the latter was out bowled by Permaul for 23 from 59 balls, hitting three fours. Scorpions were reduced to 61-3 in 16.4 overs while Barnwell continued to have an impact on the match. King was out leg before to Barnwell to a ball that look as if it was missing leg-stump with the naked eye. King made four from six balls, as two wickets fell with the score on 61.
Assad Fudadin and Rovman Powell were at the crease entering tea with the Scorpions on 69-4 in 19 overs, with a lead of 106. It was an eventful session that saw 71 runs scored and six wickets falling. Jaguars gave nothing away in the final session, as the Scorpions batsman had to work for their runs. Shepherd was introduced for a new spell and he removed Powell for a struggling eight from 27 balls. Powell was out caught by Permaul who took a running catch covering huge grounds on the leg-side, with the score on 87-5.
Scorpion’s captain, Paul Palmer partnered Fudadin as they combat some testing bowling from the Jaguars. Wickets fell at regular intervals; Palmer was leg before to Motie for five at 113-6, Kenroy Williams was caught at short-leg by Tagenarine Chanderpaul for one off the bowling of Motie, with the score on 115-7. Assad Fudadin looked to some release pressure, blasting a four down the ground off Reifer.
It was a perfect revenge plot the very next ball Fudadin was out caught by Shepherd at mid-on looking to hit one boundary too many; Fudadin scored 24 from 84 balls, hitting two boundaries in a fighting knock. Scorpions were in deep trouble when Fudadin was out for 121-8 and Green was out for five with the score on 128-9. Green became Reifer’s third victim guiding a ball into Barnwell hands at second slip.
The final wicket fell at 132 in 48.1 overs, when Bulli was out for three caught behind by Bramble off the bowling of Motie. Gudakesh Motie had 3-11 in 5.1 overs while Raymon Reifer had 3-36 in 11 overs. Christopher Barnwell had two wickets while Romario Shepherd and Veerasammy Permaul had one wicket each.
Jaguars required 170 runs to win; batting four overs in the final session and scoring 25 runs; Chandrapaul Hemraj remained unbeaten on 16 while Tagenarine Chanderpaul is on nine. The Jaguars will require 145 runs more to win 10 wickets intact with the first ball being bowled from 10:00h on the final day.