Pacers Marlon Richards and Rayad Emrit demolished the Guyana Jaguars
Top order as Trinidad & Tobago Red Force dominated the opening day before bad light stopped play in the sixth round of the 2015/16 Profes-sional Cricket League (PCL) four-day tournament which resumed yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
The Guyana-born Richards picked up 3-31 while the 34-year-old veteran Emrit snared 2-41 as the Jaguars closed on 204-7 from 71.4 overs.
At stumps, Vishaul “Cheesy” Singh was rock steady on 88 from 159 balls with 12 fours, eyeing his fourth first-class ton of the season when he resumes his innings today with partner Devendra Bishoo (02*). Singh, and left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, who struck five fours in his 47, added 131 runs for the seventh wicket to help rescue the
Jaguars from 85-6, lifting them to 198-7. Skipper Leon Johnson (23), Rajendra Chandrika (15) and Assad Fudadin (18) got to double figures before they were dismissed.
Electing to bat first on an overcast morning, when play began so 20 minutes late due to rain, Guyana, who left out fast-bowler Ronsford Beaton and batsman Robin Bacchus, saw openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul (03) and Chandrika (15) laboring under windy conditions and were heavily tested by Emrit and Richards.
Operating from the Media Center End, Emrit served up a beauty which disturbed the stumps of the Test opener Chandrika as Guyana lost their first wicket for 16. After some 24 deliveries, Chanderpaul finally got off the mark with a flick through the on-side off Richards.
However, experience overcame youth when the veteran Emrit chose to bowl over the wicket to the left-handed Chanderpaul who was undone by an in-swinger, ending his 27-ball stay at the crease. With the openers gone, Johnson and Fudadin, two senior players with international experience, joined forces as off-spinner Jun-Russ Jaggesar who picked up 14 wickets in the Regional Super 50 tournament, was introduced into the attack.
The first four for the Jaguars was a streaky one as Emrit found his range once again this time breaking the edge of the Guyana Captain’s bat, the ball speeding to the boundary. Fudadin, who struck 145 in the Jaguars’ practice match decided to take on the right-arm debutant Jaggesar, thumping him for two huge sixes but Richards speared in a beauty to comprehensively bowl Fudadin at the stroke of lunch to leave Guyana struggling at 47-3.
The rain returned after lunch and lasted for 16 minutes with Johnson resuming on 11 while the tournament’s second leading run-scorer Singh, joined his captain to help raise the 50 during the first over of the afternoon session. Singh, who was trailing Barbados’ Pride Rolston Chase by two runs, drove Jaggesar for back-to-back fours through the off-side to reclaim his spot as the leading run-getter.
A terrible mix up between the two Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) teammates saw Johnson being run out after firmly hitting a ball to Richards at mid-on, who acted quickly upon realizing that Singh was “ball watching” and his return throw to the wicket-keeper was on point.
Anthony Bramble (01), looked lethargic and was beaten the previous ball before he got one which struck him enough on the pads to induce an LBW decision as Richards got his second wicket. Jaggesar bagged his first Jaguars scalp when left-arm all-rounder Raymon Reifer was trapped leg before wicket for one run.
Guyana went to tea with the score 126-6 and when play resumed, Singh reached his sixth fifty at this level and piled on the runs along with Permaul who lent ideal support before Richards broke his edge as well as the partnership to reapply the pressure on Guyana as the light was taken at 17:20hrs.
The action continues today from 9:30 hrs.
Scoreboard
Guyana Jaguars 1st innings
T Chanderpaul b Emrit 03
R Chandrika b Emrit 15
A Fudadin
L Johnson* run out (Richards) 23
V Singh not out 88
A Bramble+ lbw b Richards 01
R Reifer lbw b Jaggesar 01
V Permaul c wkp Katwaroo b Richards 47
D Bishoo not out 02
TOTAL: (7 wickets 204 71.4 overs)
EXTRAS: (nb-6)
FOW: 1-16, 2-18, 3-47, 4-73, 5-84, 6-85, 7-198
Bowling: Emrit 14-6-41-2, Richards 17-6-31-3, Jaggesar 21.4-6-54-1,
Deonarine 7-1-17-0, Khan 9-1-42-0, Mohammed 3-013-0
