Clive Lloyd Super Cats’ Homchand Pooran (107) and left arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul (5-76) guided their team to a mammoth 172 runs first innings lead over the Rohan Kanhai Strikers at the end of the second day in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) President’s Cup competition.
Resuming on their overnight 361-5 with Pooran on 83 and skipper Leon Johnson (47), the Super Cats went on to make 416, to which Rohan Kanhai Strikers were bowled out for 260 despite a fighting 68 from Krishna Arjune and a stubborn 41 from Rakesh Goberdhan.
Super Cats lost Johnson in the second over of the day when he was caught by wicketkeeper Delroy Jacobs off the fiery Trevon Garraway, who was bowling with aggression, from a top edge hook without any addition to both his and the team’s overnight total.
At the other end, Pooran opened his scoring for the day with a lovely front foot drive which went all along the ground off Fraser, followed by an outside edge which went between gully and third slip for four. He took a liking to Fraser, by driving him through point followed by another drive through the cover region to move to 99.
Prior to Pooran’s boundary scoring feat with the bat, Zaheer Mohammed (00) was brilliantly caught by Jacobs diving away to his left to come up with the catch off an attempted hook, while Ferrier was also taken by the former national under-19 wicketkeeper when he got an outside edge as he pushed tentatively forward to leave the Super Cats on 370-7.
Pooran’s 100 was brought up in style when he steered his 143rd delivery he faced from Paul Wintz past gully and down to third man for his 18th four, followed by another drive off Wintz for his sixth consecutive four of the day before he was adjudged lbw to a delivery that surprised him by keeping low on the fast DCC wicket. All told, Pooran faced 150 balls, struck 19 fours and batted for 223 minutes for his 107.
Permaul (14; 3×4) showed he is no rabbit with the bat when he turned Garraway off his legs to fine leg for four, followed by a straight drive through mid on for another boundary off the same bowler, before he too was adjudged lbw to Wintz leaving Delbert Hicks unbeaten on 9 as the Super Cats were bowled out for 416 from 93 overs.
Wintz was the pick of the Strikers bowlers as he ended with 4-47 while Garraway who was wicketless on the first day, ended with 3-73 and Fraser 2-60.
When Strikers took to the crease, they lost the wicket of Maxie De Jonge who was given out caught by Hicks off the bowling of Crandon without scoring in the third over with the score on 10. National opening batsman Krishna Arjune got his innings off in fine style, with an audacious extra cover drive off the bowling of national under-19 fast bowler Keon Joseph, followed by a straight drive for boundaries.
Former West Indies under-19 middle order batsman Gajanand Singh also got into the boundary scoring act with a drive off Jeremiah Harris while he turned Mohammed off his legs for four to fine leg on the stroke of lunch, which saw the Strikers score reading 48-1 from 12 overs, with Arjune on 23 and Singh 16.
After lunch, the two continued to attack the bowling of the Super Cats with Singh driving Harris exquisitely through the covers for four while Arjune pulled a short one from Crandon through forward square leg for four, then stood at the other end as Singh struck Permaul back over his head and into Roger Harper’s yard for six to push the score to 95-1.
Arjune realized his 50 with two boundaries off Trevor Benn, with the first posting the Strikers 100th run in the 24th over while he faced 64 balls and struck eight fours in his 50 but lost Singh who struck eight fours from 81 balls, was caught by Permaul at mid on off Mohammed for 45 at 118-2, ending a partnership of 108 runs for the second wicket.
Former West Indies middle order batsman and Rohan Kanhai Strikers captain Narsingh Deonarine joined Arjune and came off the mark with a pull over mid on off Mohammed, while Arjune continued to take the attack to Permaul by hitting him over his head for four and six off successive deliveries.
Deonarine also flicked Harris through midwicket for four to push his score to eight and his team to 127-2, but saw the demise of Arjune who was caught by Richard Ramdeen at silly mid off off Permaul for an attractive 68 made off 91 balls and was decorated with 11 fours and two massive sixes off Permaul who removed national opener Royston Crandon two overs later for 15.
Crandon’s brief innings was decorated with two fours and one six which he struck over mid wicket off Permaul who was befuddling the batsmen on the fast DCC wicket with his left arm orthodox bowling, as they were stuttering on 137-4 after being 118-2 at one stage.
Mohammed accounted for Orin Forde who was caught first ball by Ramdeen at forward short leg, whilst Permaul who continued to mesmerize the Rohan Kanhai Strikers batting line-up from one end, removed Ravi Sarwan (8; 2×4) on the stroke of tea, which saw the Strikers precariously placed on 174-7.
After tea, Rakesh Goberdhan (41; 5×6; 1×4) and Paul Wintz held up the Super Cats with a 63 run eighth wicket partnership, with Goberdhan fighting fire with fire, when he hit Permaul over mid wicket and twice over his head for sixes. Mohammed also came in for some rough treatment from the Essequibo right hander when he too was dispatched over midwicket for the maximum.
Wintz also got into the boundary scoring act when he hit Permaul for four through the midwicket area. But when well set for what would have been an entertaining 50, Goberdhan was beaten and bowled by Permaul at 247-8, who returned in his next over to account for Wintz who was lbw for 20 (2×4).
Former national under-19 all rounder Kellon Carmichael joined Sauid Drepaul with the Strikers needing another 19 runs to avoid the follow on, and after Drepaul struck Crandon back over his head for six, he was given a life by Permaul at fine leg who grassed a top edge hook at 253-9.
Drepaul took the opportunity given by Permaul to continue his innings by hitting the final delivery of Crandon’s over through midwicket for four, followed by a pull through midwicket off Permaul, whilst Carmichael drove Crandon through the cover region for another four as the Strikers inched closer to their follow on target of 266, to 260-9 before Carmichael was lbw off the next delivery leaving Drepaul unbeaten on 15 (2×4; 1×6) at 1607hrs, thus conceding a lead of 156 runs to the Super Cats.
Permaul led the bowling for his team, picking up 5-76 and received support from Mohammed and Crandon who ended with 3-45 and 2-35 respectively.
With a lead of 156, Johnson refused to enforce the follow on, and at the close the Super Cats were 16-1 with Norman Fredericks and Steven Jacobs unbeaten on 6 each with the lone casualty being former West Indies under-19 opener Richard Ramdeen who was caught by wicket keeper Bramble off Garraway for three with the score at 10.
Today is the final day, and given the erratic batting display from the Rohan Kanhai Strikers, a score in the vicinity of 250 to 275 would be a Herculean task for them to achieve against the bowling of Permaul and company.
