Defending champions, Guyana Jaguars completed an easy seven-wicket win over the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium on Saturday with a day to spare.
Veerasammy Permaul brushed aside the Volcanoes tail to finish with figures of 20.3-5-53-4in the second innings
The home team began the penultimate day on 54 for 1 still trailing by 150 runs with former Test batsman Kirk Edwards on 12 and captain Tyrone Theophile on 36.
The Volcanoes’ batsmen did much better than 153 in the first innings but only set the three-time defending champions a meagre 41 runs to win after they were restricted to 244. Edwards top scored with a workmanlike 54 while Kavem Hodge got 44, Theophile scored 37 and Shane Shillingford was last man out for 36.
The Jaguars will now have an extra day of rest thanks mainly to left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul whose good form allowed him to pick up four wickets and West Indies A fast bowler Keon Joseph who finished with three for 53. Rookie all-rounder, Sherfane Rutherford had two for 50 to end the match with an eight-wicket haul and a half century.
Set a mere 41 runs for victory, Jaguars lost three wickets before stumbling over the line, to follow up their victory over Jamaica Scorpions in Georgetown last weekend and will remain on top of the points standings.
Chandrika top-edged an ill-advised pull at a short ball outside off-stump from pacer Obed McCoy and was caught by Hodge at short leg for seven with the score on nine.
With the score on 25, Chandrapaul Hemraj fell for seven, nicking an uncertain prod at pacer Ray Jordan (2-23) and captain Leon Johnson flashed at a wide one from the same bowler and was taken at gully by Audy Alexander for four, with five runs added.
The Jaguars will move on to St Kitts where they will play the Leeward Islands Hurricanes while the Volcanoes will travel to Trinidad for their third round match at the Queen’s Park Oval. Both matches begin on Thursday.
