CAVE HILL, Barbados, CMC – Career-best bowling from Veerasammy Permaul overshadowed defiant batting from Nkrumah Bonner, as Guyana continued to chase their first victory ever against the Combined Campuses & Colleges in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday.
Permaul collected six wickets for 39 runs from 26 overs to almost single-handedly bowl the CCC out for 155 in their second innings about 20 minutes before the scheduled close on the rain-marred third day of their sixth round match at the Three Ws Oval. The left-arm spinner ended with match figures of nine for 97.
Bonner led the way for the CCC with another resolute innings of 62 that included six boundaries from 131 balls in close to 2 ½ hours.
Guyana, chasing 200 for victory, reached 30 for one when bad light stopped play an hour after the scheduled close with five overs remaining.
Before the close, off-spinner Ryan Austin continued to terrorise regional batsmen, and had opener Rajendra Chandrika caught behind for four.
Permaul struck early, after the CCC started the day on 40 for three, when he trapped Kyle Corbin lbw for seven, which took his aggregate of runs for the season to 502, and also had Romel Currency caught at forward short-leg for 28.
CCC were 69 for five, but off-spinner Zaheer Mohammed grabbed two wickets to leave the home team wobbling on 105 for seven at lunch. He trapped Floyd Reifer and Jamal Smith lbw for 20 and two respectively.
After the interval, Permaul continued to play tricks on the CCC batsmen, when he had Carlos Brathwaite caught at silly point for one, and held a return catch to dismiss Kevin McClean for a duck.
Bonner forged a face-saving partnership with Austin, and carried CCC to 136 for nine, when rain stopped play, and prompted an early tea about half-hour earlier than scheduled.
Play did not resume until a little over two hours later, and Bonner passed the half-century mark for the third time this season.
He and Austin put on 46 for the final wicket before he was bowled off the inside edge, attempting a big drive off fast bowler Ronsford Beaton.
CCC have won two of their four regional first-class matches against Guyana on home soil, since entering the competition three years ago.
The other two matches – played in Guyana – have ended in draws.