Steaming Smith rocks Red Force with fantastic 5-for

CWI PCL 4-Day Championships…

Story and Photos By Brandon Corlette

Nial Smith produced another demolition job at the National Stadium at Providence to pick up his second five-wicket haul in only his third First-Class match, as Guyana Jaguars remain in pole position. The right-arm speedster bagged 5-12 as Trinidad and Tobago were rocked to 98 all out.

Smith was well supported by fellow Berbician Veerasammy Permaul, who snared 4-29. At stumps on day two, Jaguars were 53-0, enjoying a fruitful lead of 278 runs.
Resuming the second day on 263-6, Guyana Jaguars were bowled out for 323 in 111.3 overs. Anthony Bramble began the day on 63, while Devendra Bishoo was on 10. Bramble continued to blaze a fiery trail in playing some fearless shots; but with a century on the horizon, he edged one behind off right-arm seamer Terrence Hinds and missed out, falling for 91 from 77 balls. The swashbuckling right-hander departed with the score on 296-7, after he had slammed 14 fours and three sixes.

Following that 45-run partnership with Bishoo and Bramble, Jaguars inched to the 300-run mark. Veerasammy Permaul hung around for 31 balls, but scored only seven, and became Bryan Charles’s fifth wicket.

Bishoo’s innings of substance spanned 63 balls, from which he contributed 23 runs, including four boundaries.
Smith hit two delightful fours, but Darren Bravo, bowling his medium pace, destroyed Smith’s furniture for eight to close the innings.
Charles ended with figures of 5-87 in his 29 overs of off-spin, including seven maidens. Bravo had 2-18 in his 9.3 overs. At the lunch interval, Red Force were 10-0 in three overs, with Jeremy Solozano on seven and Keagan Simmons on two.

The beast unleashed
Guyana Jaguars seemingly had one of their best lunches, because on their return to the field for the afternoon session, Keon Joseph began the demolition job by rattling the stumps of Simmons for two, with the score on 12-1.
Smith then began operation “Red Force mission-wreck” when he rocked back the stumps of an in-form Bravo for one. Jason Mohammed was sent packing for a golden duck with the next ball, when Smith trapped the right-hander in front.
Red Force had by then slipped to 13-3, and Smith found himself on a hat trick. Generating great pace, and bowling with control, Smith continued to impress in only his third First-Class match.

Red Force batsmen expressed disappointment with some of the questionable decisions made by the umpires, but Smith remained on the money as he continued to steam in from the Players’ Pavilion end. Wicket-keeper batsman Joshua Da Silva was the next of Smith’s victims when he became a leg-before candidate. he scored only one run, and departed with the score on 20-4; and in the same over, Smith struck again to reduce Red Force to 20-5. The Tucber Park paceman destroyed Yannic Cariah’s stumps as another Red Force batsman failed to trouble the scorers.
Left-handed opener Jeremy Solozano survived Smith’s testing pace, and took the score past the 50-run mark with Kjorn Ottley. Smith, who had a brief breather, returned for his second spell and picked up his fifth wicket of the innings — that of Solozano, for 27 from 80 balls, another leg-before victim at 51-6.
On the stroke of Tea, Akeal Hosein (13) was caught by Smith off the bowling of Permaul, and the Red Force were at 70-7 at that interval, after 28.5 overs of dominant bowling.
Upon resumption, Jaguars wrapped up the Red Force first innings on 98 all out in 41 overs. Odean Smith (07) fell at 78-8 to Permaul, while Ottley (22) and Charles (00) also fell to Permaul, who ended with four wickets.
Smith had figures of 5-12 in eight overs, including two maidens; while Permaul had 4-29 in 13 overs, including six mesmerizing maidens.
The openers produced a solid start in Jaguars second innings. Tagenarine Chanderpaul was unbeaten on 29, while Chandrapaul Hemraj was on 22.
The third day will bowl off from 9:30h today, with Jaguars enjoying a lead of 278 runs.