Table-leaders Jaguars stalk last-placed Canadians under lights

Group ‘A’ table-leaders Guyana Jaguars face a tricky contest when they meet the last-placed Canadians under lights at the Queen’s Park Oval Ground in Monday’s day/night affair of the Super50 Championships.
The Jaguars mauled the hitherto unbeaten Trinidad & Tobago Red Force by 75 runs after some explosive batting on Saturday. The real hero of this encounter was Clinton Pestano, the 25-year-old Guyanese speedster who became the 5th bowler to take a hat-trick in Regional 50 Overs cricket.
Guyana’s batting has been firing over the past few games, and eyes will be on opener Trevon Griffith who has been on a batting high. The left-hander is fresh off consecutive fifties, the most being his 70 against Red Force, and should be eyeing three figures before the tournament ends. Given his form, the Canadians will need to be precise.
Despite not recording a big score, Jags skipper Leon Johnson showed some form with 35, and could seek to carry on against a less studded bowling attack.
Guyana’s middle-order, with Raymon Reifer who made his 2nd half-century of the tourney in the last game, Romario Shepherd, Ramaal Lewis and even makeshift opener Sherfane Rutherford, will be itching to come big this game.
With Pestano’s form in the pace department already bagging 10 wickets, the Jaguars will rely on Ramaal Lewis in the spin department. The ex-Windies U19 skipper is the second leading wicket-taker with 11 scalps, but could easily lose his place to the more hostile Pestano. Barnwell, Reifer, Rutherford and Veerasammy Permaul are all in wicket-taking form, and could fancy themselves match winners.
Canada, on the other hand, will be full of confidence, and are not to be taken easily after they brushed aside the defending champs Windwards by 18 runs to gain a psychological advantage.
Romesh Eranga, with 6 wickets in the last game, and the likes of Nitish Kumar, Navneet Dhaliwal, former South African wicket-keeper/batsman and Captain Davy Jacobs, Srimantha Wijeratne, and others who have been among the runs could pose a threat to the Jags.
Guyana’s last game against Trinidad Red Force saw Griffith and reliable all-rounder Raymond Reifer making responsible half centuries against a powerful Trinidad and Tobago Red Force bowling attack.
Jaguars’ bowling was led by Clinton Pestano, who picked up his maiden hat-trick and was supported by the consistent Lewis, who bundled out Trinidad Red Force for 216 as they pursued Guyana’s 291-8.
Pestano removed Trinidad Red Force and Windies superstars Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo with the third, fourth and fifth deliveries of the 28th over.
Trinidad Red Force looked to be cruising on 133 for two, following two successive half-century stands involving Simmons, whose 70 from 73 balls included six fours and three sixes.
Surprisingly, Denesh Ramdin, opening the batting, fell cheaply in the fourth over, Simmons put on 67 for the second wicket with Jason Mohammed, and an even 50 for the third wicket with Darren Bravo.
Jason Mohammed made 24 and Bravo gathered 43 from 72 balls, but Pestano’s intervention knocked Red Force off their stride and they never recovered stability.
Earlier, when Johnson opted to bat, Griffith struck seven fours and one six in 70 from 83 balls, to hold the top order of the batting together. He shared 60 for the second wicket with his captain and fellow left-hander Leon Johnson.
Raymond Reifer, batting at five, replaced Griffith, Jaguars were 159 for three in the 30th over, and he became the glue that kept the bottom half of the batting together. He struck two fours and four sixes in 55 off 66 balls.
Reifer was involved in a 57-run sixth wicket partnership with Essequibo’s Ricardo Adams, which ushered the Jags past 250 and put them on course for a bigger total, before they were two of the three wickets that fell in the closing overs.
Guyana lead Group ‘A’ with 20 points, while Canada will be seeking a tremendous reversal of fortunes for the remainder of the tournament, as they will desperately want to add to their 4 points. (Clifton Ross)