NAIN, Jamaica, CMC – A gutsy batting effort earned Guyana first innings points but Marlon Samuels stroked a confident, unbeaten half-century to keep Jamaica in the hunt, on the second day of the first round of the Regional First Class Championship yesterday.
Resuming at 32 for one, Guyana battled their way to 183 all out in response to Jamaica’s paltry first innings of 150, taking a slim lead off 33 runs at Alpart Sports Club.
Samuels, returning to the first class arena for the first time this season following a two-year ban, then hammered 51 to push Jamaica to 128 for two at the close.
Guyana suffered an early blow 20 minutes into the day’s play, when Rajendra Chandrika drove a slower ball from pacer Jerome Taylor (2-38) to Danza Hyatt at cover with the score on 49 for two, after adding just eight to his overnight 13.
Captain Assad Fudadin (23) and Leon Johnson (22) then added a vital 26 to deny Jamaica any further success, as Guyana inched towards their target.
The visitors lost three quick wickets, however, when Johnson perished at short leg off leg-spinner Odean Brown (3-54) at 75 for three and Vishaul Singh followed without scoring one run later, offering no stroke to left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cotterell and losing his off-stump.
Royston Crandon went cheaply for four to leave Guyana 80 for five but Fudadin and Derwin Christian, who top scored with 39, staged a 46-run sixth wicket stand to pull their side around.
Christian struck five fours and a six off 56 balls while Fudadin faced 84 balls and spent 129 minutes at the crease before he was trapped lbw by slow bowler Tamar Lambert (3-7) to the last ball before lunch at 126 for six.
Guyana lost Esaun Crandon (1) and Christian before they had claimed first innings points as they slipped to 148 for eight but Veerasammy Permaul (27) and Devendra Bishoo (15) put on an invaluable 28 for the ninth wicket.
Batting again, Jamaica lost Hyatt for 17 at 19 for one but Samuels and opener Simon Jackson, who hit a handsome 49, added 88 for the second wicket to steer the innings away from peril.
Samuels counted five fours and a six off 98 balls in 138 minutes while Jackson hammered six fours off 107 balls in 143 minutes at the crease.
Jackson fell when a delivery ricocheted from his glove onto the stumps at 107 for two but Test left-hander Brendan Nash (eight not out) ensured there were no more hiccups.
Scoreboard
Jamaica 1st Innings 150 (Brandon Bess 5-28)
Guyana 1st Innings
(overnight 32 for one)
S Barrington c wkp Walton b Bernard 13
R Chandrika c Hyatt b Taylor 21
L Johnson c Hyatt b Brown 22
*A Fudadin lbw b Lambert 23
V Singh b Cotterel 0
R Crandon lbw b Brown 4
+D Christian c wkp Walton b Taylor 39
E Crandon lbw b Brown 1
V Permaul lbw b Lambert 27
D Bishoo c Samuels b Lambert 15
B Bess not out 1
Extras (b1, lb10, nb6) 17
Total (66.1 overs, all out) 183
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-49, 3-75, 4-76, 5-80, 6-126, 7-132, 8-148, 9-176, 10-183.
Bowling: Taylor 17-3-38-2, Cotterel 15-5-32-1, Bernard 12-3-34-1, Brown 14-1-54-3, Hyatt 2-0-7-0, Lambert 6.1-4-7-3.
Jamaica 2nd Innings
D Hyatt c Barrington b E Crandon 17
S Jackson b Bishoo 49
M Samuels not out 51
B Nash not out 8
Extras (b3) 3
Total (42 overs, 2 wkts) 128
Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-107.
Bowling: E Crandon 6-0-22-1, Bess 6-0-25-0, Bishoo 9-0-23-1, Permaul 10-3-31-0, R Crandon 9-1-15-0, Fudadin 2-0-9-0.
