FOURSQUARE, Barbados, CMC – Jamaica fortified their position against Guyana, after Wavell Hinds and Carlton Baugh Jr plundered hundreds in a record stand in the WICB regional first-class championship yesterday.
Guyana, replying to Jamaica’s first innings total of 429, reached 112 for five at the close on the second day in their third round match at Foursquare Oval.
The Guyanese wobbled, after their captain Sewnarine Chattergoon and Rajendra Chandrika featured in a solid opening stand of 56.
Assad Fudadin was not out on 31, Chandrika scored 30 and Chattergoon got 22, and fellow left-hander Narsingh Deonarine made 24.
Nikita Miller has been the most successful Jamaica bowler so far with three wickets for 25 runs from 15.3 overs.
Unlike the Guyanese top-order batsmen, Hinds and Baugh used the ideal conditions to put Jamaica into an impregnable position.
Hinds scored 151 – his 21st first-class hundred – and Baugh made 124 – his 11th first-class hundred – after Jamaica resumed on their overnight total of 239 for six.
They added a record 232 for the seventh wicket to establish a new mark for Jamaica in the modern West Indies first-class championship (1966-2010).
This eclipsed 143 between Robert Haynes – now a West Indies selector, and a spectator in the comfort of the pavilion – and Shane Ford against Barbados 15 years ago at Sabina Park.
Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul was the pick of the Guyana bowlers with five wickets for 91 runs from 36.1 overs.
Both century-makers were fortunate. Hinds, on 85, was dropped at extra cover by Assad Fudadin off Brandon Bess, and later, Baugh, on 100, was dropped by stand-in ‘keeper Rajendra Chandrika off Esuan Crandon.
Hinds reached his milestone from 256 balls with a drive through wide mid-off for a single off Davendra Bishoo, and Baugh needed just 115 balls for his landmark with a drive to deep extra cover for a single off Chattergoon.
They carried Jamaica to 360 for six at lunch, but they were dismissed in the first hour after the interval.
Baugh was caught behind, when he top-edged a sweep at his 113rd delivery from Royston Crandon after batting for close to 3-1/2 hours. He struck 13 fours and three sixes.
Hinds fell in similar fashion, when he too, top-edged a sweep, and was caught at slip off Permaul. He struck 13 fours and six sixes from 317 balls in close to 6-1/2 hours.
Once they were removed however, Jamaica’s innings went into swift decline, as they lost their last four wickets for seven runs in the space of 23 balls in less than 15 minutes.
Chattergoon and Chandrika carried Guyana to 29 without loss at tea, and settled down for the grind after the break.
They were confidently making headway, when Dave Bernard Jr trapped Chattergoon for 22 playing across a full length delivery.
First ball of the next over, Miller had Chandrika lbw sweeping across the line, and three balls later, had Travis Dowlin caught at silly point for a duck to leave Guyana 57 for three.
Jamaica were held up, when Deonarine joined Fudadin and put on 49 for the fourth wicket before he was brilliantly caught at mid-on by Bernard – diving full stretch to his left – essaying a pull. In the final over, Miller tightened Jamaica’s grip, when he bowled Bishoo for a duck to prompt a slightly early close.
Jamaica are the current leaders with a maximum 24 points from victories over Windward Islands in the opening round on home soil at Chedwin Park, and Leeward Islands in the second round in St. Kitts at Warner Park.
Guyana are currently sixth in the table on three points with a match in hand, after they were led on first innings in their only match in the competition in the second round at Antigua’s Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
In the last decade, the two teams played each other 15 times with Guyana winning just once, Jamaica six times, seven drawn, and a no-decision in the 2005 second-leg contest.
