Chris Barnwell and Gudakesh Motie landed lethal blows minutes before close of play yesterday which left the Leeward Volcanoes in deep trouble at 48-4 in pursuit of the Guyana Jaguars first innings 419-9 declared at the end of the second day of the second round of the ongoing WICB/PCL Regional 4-day match continued at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, yesterday.
At close of play on day two, Hurricanes skipper Steve Liburd was looking positive on 20 while opener Shane Peters held down his end on 15 with their team facing a huge 371-run deficit after they were suckered-punched by Barnwell (2-5), who removed Shane Jeffers (09) and Daron Cruickshank (00).
Playing his second First Class game, the left-arm spinner Motie weighed in with two wickets (2-7), bowling Jamaican Nkrumah Bonner for duck and then having Orlando Peters stumped by Bramble without scoring.
Fast-bowler Alzarri Joseph, who ended with figures of 5-99, had on Friday’s opening day, ripped out the Jags top three in quick succession to leave them at 27-3 in
their first innings.
However, Vice-Captain Vishaul Singh counter-punched with a career-best 150 while Steven Jacobs struck an unbeaten 63. Those two innings along useful contributions of 49 from Barnwell and 42 from Anthony Bramble, helped the defending champs to a comfortable declaration.
The dimunitive Singh played a giant knock scoring his second ton at this level. His best score of 150, was decorated with 13 crisp fours and he batted for 450 minutes.
The 26-year-old Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) batsman bettered his 141 which he made against the Trinidad Red Force last December, joining Chandrika as the second Guyanese century maker this season.
When play commenced yesterday morning, Singh and Barnwell stretched their sixth wicket partnership to 73 as Guyana clawed their way out of the ditch after resuming on the 218-5.
Joseph, the West Indies Under-19 pacer cut short Barnwell’s mission to reach his first half-century of the season, when the right-hander’s edge was clipped and he was swallowed at second slip. Singh and Bramble continued to repair the wounded Jags but at the stroke of lunch the little genius fell to a poor sweep stroke attempt and was bowled around his legs by Jacques Taylor (3-70) shortly after reaching his milestone.
Guyana went into the lunch break well-placed at 306 for 7 and when play resumed, Bramble and Jacobs came out and kept the runs flowing with the wicket-keeper being the more aggressive of the two, thumping a few shots over the boundary ropes. Jacobs flexed his muscles too and played a few quality strokes for fours.
Bramble then fell to Joseph who picked up his first five wicket haul at Providence when he was caught at square leg. Jacobs continued to look like the batsman of old, hitting seven fours in his 50 from 75-balls which he followed up with a thump for four which took theJags past 403-8 at tea.
Leon Johnson didn’t waste time and the Jags
Captain opted to declare shortly after tea with his team 419-9. Day three continues at 9:30hrs today.
Guyana Jaguars first innings
(Overnight on 218-5)
A Fudadin lbw b Joseph 5
R Chandrika c Peters b Joseph 7
L Johnson c Liburd b Joseph 0
V Singh b Taylor 150
S Chanderpaul c Cruickshank b Taylor 65
R Reifer b Cornwall 0
C Barnwell c Liburd b Joseph 49
A Bramble c Taylor b Joseph 42
S Jacobs not out 63
R Beaton lbw b Taylor 18
Extras: (nb-2, w-3, lb-4, b-6) 15
Total: (for nine wickets; 150.1 overs) 419
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-16, 3-21, 4-192, 5-193, 6-266, 7-306, 8-365, 9-418
Bowling: Tonge 18-3-48-0, Joseph 27-1-99-5, O Peters 14-3-47-0,
Cornwall 43-14-79-1, Cruickshank 6-1-21-0, Taylor 24.1-9-70-3, Bonner
9-3-27-0, S Peters 2-1-8-0, Liburd 7-3-10-0
