Bottom of the table, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes did what no other team in the Professional Cricket League Digicel Regional Four Day Tournament could have done all season; beat the defending champions the Guyana Jaguars.
The Hurricanes completed their second successive victory over the Jaguars late on day three at Providence when the teams met for the final match of the season. The margin of victory was by 10 wickets after another poor batting display by the home team.
In November, the Hurricanes completed the highest successful chase in regional First Class cricket when they chased 369 to win by four wickets at Warner Park in round two. The Jaguars then bounced back to win four of their next seven matches with the other three ending in draws. Along the way, the Jaguars accumulated enough points to take their third successive Headley/Weekes Title with a match in the bag.
At the start of the match the Jaguars wanted to take revenge on the Hurricanes who wanted to prove that their earlier upset was not fluke.
The visitors began day three in a commanding position at 255-7 enjoying a lead of 68 with Jacques Taylor on 60 and Jeremiah Louis on 20 in a partnership valued at 44 at that stage.
They extended the partnership to 68 with intelligent batting. Louis was first to go to give Raymon Reifer his third five wicket haul at this level and his best bowling figures in an innings. Taylor continued with Gavin Tonge to realize the 300 for the Hurricanes. He was then outfoxed by a beauty from Reifer for wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble to take a simple catch.
Left arm spinner, Veerasammy Permaul then picked up his first wicket of the match when debutant Elvin Berridge was hit in front of the stumps and was sent on his way.
With a deficit of 119 to wipe off to avoid embarrassment and an innings defeat the Jaguars batsmen never suggested permanence and were asked to survive 11 overs before lunch. Assad Fudadin was first to go when he offered wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton a simple catch in the third over of the second innings. Seventeen year old debutant, Bhaskar Yadram then give Berridge his first wicket in First Class cricket when he edged behind for Rakheem Cornwall to complete the catch after it was deflected from Hamilton on the stroke of lunch. At the interval the Jaguars were 30-2 still trailing by 89 runs.
The second session was no better for the champions who lost three wickets for the addition of 63 runs in 28 overs. Jaguars Captain, Leon Johnson horrid run with the bat continued when he drove a half volley in the air where Akeem Saunders dived full stretch to complete the catch inches from the ground at extra cover. Chandrapual Hemraj who survived a confident LBW appeal to Louis on 29 was clean bowled next ball for a good little innings of 29 from 59 balls with four boundaries.
Chandrapaul Hemraj was clean bowled for 29 by Jeremiah Louis (not in photo) (Romario Samaroo photo)
Reifer was then run out in a bad mix up with Bramble who played Cornwall down to backward square and called for two. Bramble then turned his back on his partner who was committed to the second but was left stranded in the middle of the pitch when Jacques Taylor’s sent the ball over the bails leaving Hamilton with the simple task of completing the dismissal.
Keemo Paul who injured his left hand while fielding then braved the pain to join Bramble and they took the score to 93 without further loss at Tea with the Jaguars still behind by 26 runs. Bramble was on 22 and Paul on 6. In the third over after the break, Bramble drove back to Tonge who took the catch in his follow through. Steven Jacobs then repeated his first innings dismissal, caught at leg slip off of Cornwall who was once again bowling from the Players Pavilion End, the same end he picked up six wickets in the first innings.
Paul’s brave innings then came to an end when he swept in the air for Berridge to take a tumbling catch on the deep backward square boundary. Veerasammy Permaul played a sweep shot and missed while Clinton Pestano edged behind to wrap up the innings leaving the Hurricanes with a target of just 25.
The Hurricanes openers, Montcin Hodge and Chesney Hughes then took nine overs and one ball to reach their target to complete the double over the defending champions. Along the way to the victory, Jaguars captain Leon Johnson sent down two overs of medium pace while Yadram also had a bowl and was denied a wicket when Jacobs dropped Hughes on 13.
Hurricanes skipper, Cornwall was named Man of the Match for his match haul of 9-136.
After the game, representatives of the West indies Cricket Board and Sponsors, Digicel then presented the three time champions, the Guyana Jaguars with medals and the winning Headley/Weekes Trophy.
