Rajendra Chandrika and Shivnarine Chanderpaul narrowly missed out on first day centuries as the Guyana Jaguars began their title defense against Jamaica Scorpions in the 2016/17 Professional Cricket League (PCL) 4-Day tournament which commenced yesterday at the Providence National Stadium, Demerara.
The defending champs completed a good first day’s play as they took their total to 279-7 at stumps, with Veerasammy Permaul (08*), and Eon Hooper (00*), at the wicket..
The veteran Shiv breezed to a fluent 91, his 134th first class fifty, which featured 10 fours, while Chandrika struck 12 fours and one six, in a superb innings of 86, as both batsmen must certainly be very disappointed about missing out on three figures.
Left-arm spinner and Scorpions Captain Nikita Miller, snatched 3-54 while debutant pacer Derval Green claimed 2-61, including the prize wicket of Guyana’s Captain Leon Johnson, as leg-spinner Damion Jacobs and pacer Marquino Mindley picked up one wicket each.
Batting first, in front a small bevy of fans, the right-handed opener Chandrika who had a mixed Test series against India, and managed to refresh himself with some runs for the West Indies ‘A’ against Sri Lanka during their “unofficial” Tests, looked solid from the get go. His fellow opener, left-hander Shimron Hetmyer (05) was the first to fall, bowled by Mindley who operated with discipline, charging in with the new ball.
At 13-1, the Captain walked out to join his West Indian team mate, and the two immediately began repairs, taking the hosts to lunch at 89 for 1. Chandrika struck six fours and a six, as he sped to his first half-century of the new season, to reach 62 at the break.
When the afternoon session began, Johnson who resumed on 13, settled in, while Chandrika continued to give the Scorpion bowlers a workout. Shortly after the pair posted Guyana’s 100, the Skipper had his defense breached by a lively delivery from Green for his maiden scalp in first class cricket. The Jags’ skipper innings of 19, included three fours.
Miller introduced his left-arm spin into the attack and the move paid off shortly, as Chandrika nicked a catch to wicket-keeper Chadwick Walton, 14 runs shy of a well-deserved ton. Following those setbacks, the left-handers Vishaul Singh and Chanderpaul carefully applied themselves, with the latter picking up a few boundaries off Jason Dawes, as the total reached 150 with the tea interval approaching.
When the final session commenced, Guyana were 166-3, but soon lost Singh, caught for 16, after being outfoxed from a delivery by the leg-spinner Jacobs. The new batsman, Raymon Reifer continued his good form with the bat, giving good support to Chanderpaul, who maintained a brisk scoring rate, eventually reaching fifty off of 111 balls, with four fours.
The opposition bowlers sought to exploit the consistency which they have been operating with all day and found success in the last hour, as Reifer was LBW to Green for 40, followed by Anthony Bramble, who was dismissed by Miller for a duck, and finally, Chanderpaul, caught, at first slip also off of Miller, pushing forward in the penultimate over before stumps.
The match resumes today.
