Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul’s 19th First-Class five wicket haul bowled the Guyana Jaguars into a commanding position, as they lead the Jamaica Scorpions by 116 runs heading into the third day, in round one of the 2016/17 Digicel Professional Cricket League (PCL) Regional 4-Day tourney being played at Providence.
Replying to the Jags first innings total of 298, the Scorpions were shot down for 208 in 84.5 overs, on day two, falling 90 runs behind their target. At stumps, Guyana were 26-0, from 11 overs, with both openers Rajendra Chandrika (08), and Shimron Hetmyer who has already struck three boundaries, during his 18, still there.
Permaul who seemed to be picking up from where he left off over the past two seasons, returned with first innings figures of 5-58 from 22 overs. Support came from another left-arm spinner, Gudakesh Motie, the leading wicket-taker at one point for Guyana, as well as the competition last season, with 3-65.
Jamaica opener John Campbell highlighted the batting performance for the visitors with his brisk 71 from 93 balls, which was decorated with 10 fours, while middle-order batsman Andre McCarthy dug in for the next best score of 36.
The Scorpions began their chase with a solid 73-run opening stand between Campbell and Guyanese Trevon Griffith. The left-handed Griffith played decently for his 20, hitting a pair of fours and a six, before he was bowled by pacer and former teammate Keon Joseph (1-26).
Campbell kept a cool head, playing most of his deliveries on merit, and guided Jamaica to the hundred mark. The Scorpions appeared to be gaining the upper hand, before the two spinners commenced their onslaught, which devastated the middle/lower-order.
Devon Thomas looked positive for his 20, before he was run out by gloveman Anthony Bramble, who stumped West Indies Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood off the bowling of Motie for 18. McCarthy’s presence in the middle seemed to keep things calm for his team, as he hit three big sixes and two fours, engineering a fightback, before falling to Permaul.
When Permaul managed to sneak one through the gate of Campbell, disturbing the stumps and denying the young opener the chance at a possible century, the dye was cast, as Motie returned to clean up the aggressive Chadwick Walton, who was bowled for 16.
Debutant pacer Derval Green was comprehensively bowled by Permaul, followed by two LBW appeals to remove Scorpions captain Nikita Miller for 08, and Jason Dawes for 02. By the tea interval, Guyana were already running rampant on the feeble Jamaican Scorpions who had scraped to reach 200. Motie wrapped up the innings with a routine caught & bowled to remove number 11 Marquino Mindley for one run.
Earlier, Guyana who resumed on 279-7, after Shiv Chanderpaul (91) and Rajendra Chandrika (86) had laid a good platform, were dismissed for 298, failing to reach the mandatory 299 target required to gain the extra batting point.
Permaul and Eon Hooper, the two overnight batsmen tasked with taking their team past the psychological 300-run mark. Green had the former caught behind by Walton for 10. Hooper managed to reach double figures before being run out for 12, while Joseph was the last man to go, caught by Blackwood off the skipper.
