– Red Force trail by 28 after Bramble hit half-century
By Brandon Corlette
It was an action packed opening day at the National Stadium Providence in the pink-ball day night encounter between Guyana Jaguars and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force. Five-star Romario Shepherd blew Red Force away for 120 in their first innings. In reply Guyana Jaguars scored 165 all out with Anthony Bramble scoring 62. At stumps, Red Force are 17-2 in their second innings trailing by 28 runs, on a day that produced 22 wickets.
On a pitch described a tad slower from last round’s encounter, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force won the toss and opted bat first. Red Force lost their first wicket when 20-year old Joshua Da Silva was out caught for a duck off Raymon Reifer. The inspirational Jaguars unit continued to make inroads after Red Force were 0-1, Jeremey Solozano was out at second slip by Christopher Barnwell off the impressive Romario Shepherd at 11-2.
Wickets tumbled at regular intervals; Red Force Captain, Denesh Ramdin bit the dust when he was out caught behind by Anthony Bramble for one, off Shepherd. After Ramdin was dismissed at 14-3 in 8.1 overs, senior batsman Jason Mohammed, was out leg before for a duck two balls later to the consistent Shepherd. Tion Webster batting at number three stood tall at the crease but wickets fell in clusters.
At 42-5 Webster played a loose shot and was out caught behind by Bramble for 30 off the bowling of Sherfane Rutherford. Last round’s centurion, Khary Pierre made five, he was out caught by Bramble off an effective Christopher Barnwell.
In the eventful first session Red Force entered the interval on 94-7 with Jaguars standing the diminutive team. At the resumption of the second session, Jaguars wrapped up the Red Force innings at 120 all out; Shepherd starred with the ball grabbing 5-24 in 9.1 overs, including four maidens.
The well-built speedster, who featured in all Jaguars matches this season, would have achieved his target this season of taking 30+ wickets. Sherfane Rutherford had 2-26 while Raymon Reifer, Christopher Barnwell and Veerasammy Permaul had one wicket each, in Jaguars complete bowling effort.
Three Red Force batsmen reached double figures; Imran Khan struck 37 from 43 balls hitting seven fours while Tion Webster hit 30 from 60 balls, including five fours. Jamaican Odean Smith managed a breezy 19 from 18 balls hitting two fours and one six over mid-wicket off Barnwell.
In Jaguars first innings they lost both of their openers with the score on 14. After Tagenarine Chanderpaul hit two sweetly-timed fours off Anderson Phillip in the opening over, he was dismissed in unusual fashion trying to up the tempo. The left-hander clipped one into the leg-side to open Jaguars scoring account and eased one into covers to get things going.
Chanderpaul was out caught and bowled by left arm seamer, Daniel St Clair for eight. His fellow opener, Chandrapaul Hemraj was out caught behind for four off Anderson Phillip, in another top-order failure.
Number three batter Vishaul Singh and Leon Johnson were at the crease, the latter attempted a forward defense but missed the ball completely and was bowled all ends up for a six-ball duck. After Johnson’s dismissal at 22-3, Jaguars reached the Tea interval at 42-3 in 9.3 overs.
It was then Barnwell and Singh who negotiated the testing period of Red Force bowling. When the final session resumed, Barnwell was trapped in front by the impressive St Clair who bowled with extreme control in his first spell. The right-handed Barnwell hit three boundaries in his fluent 20 from 27 balls batting for 23 minutes.
After Barnwell departed at 42-4 at the end of over number 10, Bramble partnered Singh, as the wicket-keeper batsman looked to continue his good day, having effected in three catches in this match, taking his tally to 40 dismissals this season. The introduction of the lively Odean Smith from the Southern end saw the dismissal of Singh for 17 from 36 balls, hitting three fours.
Vishaul Singh attempted to play a straight ball into the leg side but was adjudged leg before with the score on 87-5 in 19.1 overs, ending the Singh-Bramble 45 run partnership. Smith continued his wicket-taking ways, two ball later he removed Reifer for a duck; the left-handed Reifer edged one to second slip and was out caught by Joshua Da Silva, with the score on 87-6.
The IPL bound batsman, Rutherford looked in full flow before he was out for a run-a-ball 11 hitting two fours, with Jaguars reduced to 103-7. Anthony Bramble continued to reign supreme this season as the leading run scorer, he reached his 10th First-class half-century in 50 balls and 77 minutes.
Shepherd became the 18th wicket of the opening day when he was trapped in front by Khary Pierre for a 33-ball 18 including two fours. After the 40-run partnership between Bramble and Shepherd was broken, Ramaal Lewis came into the crease at 143-8. Right-arm paceman Anderson Phillip ended Bramble’s splendid innings when he chopped on a ball onto his stumps.
Bramble took his tally this season to 560 runs after he scored a 76-ball 62 that included seven fours and one six, when Jaguars were 159-9. The final Jaguars wicket fell at 165 when Imran Khan trapped Permaul for five. Jaguars had a lead of 45 runs but the Red Force bowlers utilized the due on offer; Daniel St Clair had 3-29 while Odean Smith had 3-37. Anderson Phillip had 2-63 while Khary Pierre and Imran Khan had one wicket each.
The Red Force batsmen were tasked to face 11 overs before close of play; it was the best start Jaguars could have asked for when Shepherd continued his wreckage. First ball of the second innings he removed Solozano out caught behind by Bramble for a golden duck. The eventful over continued when he got Webster squared up which was a possible edge, but was adjudged not out by female umpire Jacqueline Williams.
Sherfane Rutherford ended he eventful day with a wicket when he trapped Webster leg before for seven. Day two of the pink ball match in Guyana Jaguars final round will commence from 14:00h local time.
SCOREBOARD
Red Force 1st Innings 120 all out
J Solozano c Barnwell b Shepherd 6
J Da Silva c Singh b Reifer 0
T Webster c Bramble b Rutherford 30
D Ramdin c Bramble b Shepherd 1
J Mohammed lbw Shepherd 0
K Pierre c Bramble b Barnwell 5
I Khan c Singh b Shepherd 37
O Smith b Rutherford 19
D St Clair lbw Permaul 7
B Charles not out 4
A Phillip c Bramble b Shepherd 0
Extras 11
Total 120 all out (32.1 overs)
FOW
1 – 0 (Da Silva, 1.3 Ov) ,
2 – 11 (Solozano, 6.3 Ov) ,
3 – 14 (Ramdin, 8.1 Ov) ,
4 – 14 (Mohammed, 8.4 Ov) ,
5 – 42 (Webster, 14.4 Ov) ,
6 – 54 (Pierre, 17.6 Ov) ,
7 – 78 (Smith, 22.3 Ov) ,
8 – 108 (St Clair, 29.4 Ov) ,
9 – 116 (Khan, 30.4 Ov) ,
10 – 120 (Phillip, 32.1 Ov)
Bowling
R Shepherd 9.1-4-24-5
R Reifer 7-1-20-1
C Barnwell 6-1-26-1
S Rutherford 7-0-31-2
V Permaul 3-0-13-1
Guyana Jaguars 1st Innings 165 all out
T Chanderpaul c&b St Clair 8
C Hemraj c Ramdin b Phillip 4
V Singh lbw Smith 17
L Johnson b St Clair 0
C Barnwell lbw St Clair 20
A Bramble b Phillip 62
R Reifer c Da Silva b Smith 0
S Rutherford c Ramdin b Smith 11
R Shepherd lbw Pierre 18
R Lewis not out 10
V Permaul lbw Khan 5
Extras 10
Total 165 all out (41.1 overs)
FOW
1 – 14 (Hemraj, 2.6 Ov) ,
2 – 14 (Chanderpaul, 3.1 Ov) ,
3 – 22 (Johnson, 5.1 Ov) ,
4 – 42 (Barnwell, 9.6 Ov) ,
5 – 87 (Singh, 19.1 Ov) ,
6 – 87 (Reifer, 19.3 Ov) ,
7 – 103 (Rutherford, 21.6 Ov) ,
8 – 143 (Shepherd, 32.1 Ov) ,
9 – 159 (Bramble, 37.1 Ov) ,
10 – 165 (Permaul, 41.1 Ov)
Bowling
A Phillip 14-1-63-2
D St Clair 8-4-29-3
O Smith 6-1-37-3
K Pierre 12-5-27-1
I Khan 1.1-0-3-1
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 2nd Innings 17-2
J Solozano c Bramble b Shepherd 0
J Da Silva
T Webster lbw Rutherford 7
Extras 0
Total 17-2
FOW
1 – 0 (JEREMY SOLOZANO, 0.1 ov) ,
2 – 17 (TION WEBSTER, 7.4 ov)
Bowling
R Shepherd 4-1-10-1
R Reifer 3-2-4-0
S Rutherford 0.4-0-3-1
