Narsingh Deonarine complemented his first innings ton with a 5-wicket haul to give the Guyana Jaguars first innings points and a lead of 240 runs against the Windwards Volcanoes heading into the fourth and final day of the ongoing WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL) Regional 4-day tournament played at the Guyana National Stadium.
Batting a second time, the Jaguars were 133-5 at stumps with Shivnarine Chanderpaul holding steady on 31 and all-rounder Raymon Reifer on 4. Fast-bowler Mervin Mathew picked up 3-25 from 12 overs while left-arm orthodox spinner Alston Bobb grabbed 2-29.
Deonarine, who cracked a top-score of 139 in the first innings, returned with the ball to orchestrate a breath-taking spell of off-spin bowling capturing 5-24 from 19 overs. He was assisted by strikes from Veerasammy Permaul (3-40) and Devendra Bishoo (2-66) who helped to stop the `volcano’ from erupting as the Windwards were knocked over for 184 in 83 overs in reply to Guyana’s 291.
Skipper Liam Sebastien attempted a counter attack and topscored with 54, an innings which featured seven boundaries from 130 deliveries while wicket-keeper Lindon James, chipped in with 29, Romel Currency 21 and Devon Smith a brisk 29 all got starts but could not convert into bigger scores.
During the Jaguars second innings, Rajendra Chandrika (9) who has yet to convert his form from the Inter-County competition to the regional level was dismissed in similar fashion to that of his first innings where he left alone a delivery and was bowled, giving his wicket away without offering a shot to fast bowler Mathew.
The West Indies Test pair of Leon Johnson (25) and opener Assad Fudadin (19) who will wing out to South Africa for the Test series this week, sought to form a partnership before the latter was trapped leg before wicket by Mathew.
At tea, Deonarine was on 1 while his skipper was on 11 with the score 41-2 and a lead of 148 heading into final session of the afternoon. The partnership was cut short when the Captain was caught at short-leg by Sunil Ambris off the slow left-arm spin off Bobb.
Christopher Barnwell played all around a delivery from Mathew and was pinned LBW for 6 leaving the score at 125 for 5. Reifer, who has been under the weather with the bat was the new man to take guard. Bobb struck again, this time the picking up the big wicket of Deonarine who was caught by Devon Smith at short fine-leg, leaving Chanderpaul and Reifer to bat out the final overs of the day.
On the morning of day three, the Guyana spinners chipped away at the Windwards batting order after first removing overnight batsman Andre Fletcher (10) who managed to add just one run to his score before Bishoo had him caught by Johnson in slip.
Night-watchman Kenroy Peters (11) also succumbed to Bishoo after mistiming a delivery which spun and inevitably had the batsman stumped by wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble. Ambris, who is one of the young talents in the Caribbean and the Windwards side, went without scoring after Permaul had him caught at mid-on by Ronsford Beaton.
Currency struck two fours before he was absolutely bamboozled by Deonarine after the off-spinner served up a typical off-spin delivery which pitched outside the off-stump, spun and beat the batsman for flight, resulting in the middle and off-stumps being dislodged.
With the score 126-6, skipper Sebastian and James sought to repair the innings after the Jaguars’ spinners once again feasted on the batting line-up. However, with the sleeper hold already locked on, Deonarine continued to show why he is one of the best of off-spinners in Guyana and possibly the Caribbean when James was out LBW after attempting a sweep shot and was beaten by a straighter delivery.
Sebastian stood his ground on 48 as the Windwards went into lunch with the score 176-7 with new man Boob yet to come off the mark. When play resumed the skipper brought up his 50 off 103 balls but his teammate Bobb, became Deonarine’s fourth wicket when he pushed at a slower delivery which was caught by Bishoo in the covers, bringing an end to his painstaking 44-ball duck innings.
Deonarine would then land the knock out blow to the Windwards when he had their skipper expertly caught behind by Bramble, once again exhibiting his class as a genuine off-spinner. The final wicket fell when Pascal was easily given out leg before off Permaul, bringing the first innings to a close at 12:48hrs.
The final day of the second round will restart at 9:00hrs today.
