Guyana Jaguars romped to their fourth consecutive Digicel Regional Four-Day title on Saturday when they beat Jamaica Scorpions by two wickets in their low scoring eighth round match at Sabina Park with a day to spare.
Set 136 to win their sixth match this season, the Jaguars stuttered but were eventually taken over the line by left-arm spinners Veerasammy Permaul and Gudakesh Motie with a tense 13-run stand for the eighth wicket.
It came down to the lower order after the Scorpions’ spinners combined for 46.3 of the 58.3 overs in the Jaguars’ second innings on the Sabina Park track that was giving favourable assistance. Left-arm spinner, Nikita Miller followed up his first innings four-fer with a similar haul while part-time off-spinner John Campbell and leg-spinner Damion Jacobs claimed one a-piece.
The Guyana Jaguars have played like true champions winning six of their eight matches so far this season
The Jaguars used their fourth opening pair of the season in the run chase with Windies “A” middle order batsman, Vishaul Singh partnering Chandrapaul Hemraj. The pair batted three overs to lunch at six without loss but could not give the three-time defending champions a good enough start and they were eventually steering down the barrel at 76 for 5 at tea still 61 runs away and the bottom half of the batting in hand.
Hemraj got a good start but once again did not carry on after hitting two fours and three sixes from 53 balls while no other batsman seemed comfortable enough to stick around in the chase except for Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
The 43-year old smothered the Scorpions potency for 83 balls with 14 singles as he once again guided the lower middle order. Keemo Paul, who struggled for runs since his opening round century, came and blasted three sixes from 11 balls in adding 30 much needed runs with Chanderpaul. The partnership, the best of the Jaguars innings, got the run chase back on track but was soon ended when Paul charged Miller and missed.
At that stage, Chanderpaul was taking most of the bowling and was next to go when Fabian Allen took a sharp catch at silly mid-on to bring the Albion Cricket Club pair together in their quest for nine runs.
Earlier, the hosts began the day with a 90-run lead at 167 for 5 and were eventually bowled out for 212 shortly before lunch. Overnight batsmen, Assad Fudadin carried his 61 to 70 as the last five Scorpions wickets fell for just 20 runs. Aldaine Thomas who was on nine overnight made 36 and added 39 with Fudadin who put on 112 for the opening stand with John Campbell late on the second day.
The chief destroyer once again was Motie who toiled for 26 overs for his reward of four scalps.
The Jaguars who began the round with a 42.8 points gap on second placed Barbados Pride have mathematically taken their fourth consecutive title by widening the lead. The Pride are coming up against the Volcanoes in a game destined for a draw at the Kensington Oval and will not be able to catch the champions.
Following the formalization of the victory which lead to the fourth title on the trot, Assistant Coach and Manager of the champions, Rayon Griffith told Guyana Times Sport that himself and the entire team are very happy with the success. “We knew we had to accumulate points to win and we did that and we are happy to know that we did it again.”
The Jaguars will have a day off before flying to Barbados for their ninth round match against the Pride before finishing the tournament at home against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at Providence and the former Guyana fast-bowler said “now that the title is in the bad, we just want to finish unbeaten.”
