Home Sports What went wrong for Guyana Jaguars in 6th round clash? Chanderpaul,...
2018-2019 CWI Regional 4-Day Tournament…
By Brandon Corlette
The defending champions, Guyana Jaguars are at a stage where they have never been before in many seasons. Suffering two defeats in as many matches; many may say the Jaguars are suffering from Coach Crandon after-effect. However, in their 93-run defeat by Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, a few umpiring decisions went the other way.
Recalling Chandrapaul Hemraj’s dismissal, in the second innings, he was given out caught behind to a ball that was missing his bat, passing between bat and thigh pad off the bowling of fast-bowler Odean Smith. Apart from that poor decision made by Jamaican umpire Jacqueline Williams, numerous leg before dismissals were missing the stumps.
The Guyana Jaguars batsmen, however, failed to score heavy runs, being bowled out for 150 and 182 in the match played at Queen’s Park Oval. In the first innings, Jaguars’ top six batsmen scored 58 runs combined, with the top five batters being left-handers. With the Jaguars batting order being left-handed, it makes the bowlers stick to a consistent line and length and the Captain finds it simple to make field placements.
In the second innings at the Queen’s Park Oval, the top six batsmen repeated their horrific performances with the bat, scoring 78 runs combined, 20 more runs from the second innings. Despite being the leading Jaguars run scorer, with 393 runs, Tagenarine Chanderpaul is not a threat to the Caribbean bowlers. The young tiger is a brilliant batsman, but he scores his runs in a slow manner and he never dominates the bowling. The Jaguars leading run-scorer thus far this season, Chanderpaul has an average of 43.66, including one century and one half-century, but his strike rate is 24.90.
Anthony Bramble began the 2018-2019 season with a bang, but has faded in the late rounds with the bat. Bramble is the best keeper-batsman this season, scoring 360 runs, including two centuries and one half-century at an average of 51.42. With the gloves, Bramble has 23 catches and one stumping, the most by any keeper.
Other than Bramble and Chanderpaul, only Romario Shepherd (248); Leon Johnson (209); Christopher Barnwell (206) and Hemraj (205) are the batsmen with 200-plus runs this season. The batsmen will be aiming to make amends in the seventh round at the National Stadium, Providence, Guyana from Thursday, against Jamaica Scorpions.
In the bowling department, three bowlers have over 20 wickets for the Jaguars. Veteran left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul remains the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 29 wickets at a bowling average of 21.68 with one five-wicket haul. Shepherd remains the best fast bowler this season with 21 wickets at a superb bowling average of 21.42.
Keemo Paul, who will be joining the West Indies Test team, has 20 wickets in the three matches this season at an impressive bowling average of 17.40 and a stellar bowling strike rate of 30.6, taking a wicket every five overs he bowls. Paul, who contributed 142 runs with the bat, has been among the top performers and he has a 10-wicket match haul of 10-129.
Clinton Pestano has 17 wickets while Raymon Reifer has 11 and Gudakesh Motie, nine. The bowling department has been consistent, but with Paul missing the next round at Providence, the bowlers will be required to do more. Jaguars’ batsmen will need to step-up their game especially the top six batsmen, with Paul missing, Christopher Barnwell may be added to the team, come Thursday, February 7, at Providence when Jaguars clash with Scorpions.
