A maiden first-class century from 19–year-old all-rounder Keemo Paul highlighted day – three as the Guyana Jaguars piled up a substantive lead against the Jamaica Scorpions in their Cricket West Indies Regional four-day encounter at the Providence National Stadium
At the close of play the Jamaica Scorpions were 62 – 2 still needing an improbable 422 more for victory.
Paul was in fine form, hammering an attractive century which took 119 balls as the Jaguars, resuming yesterday on 106 – 4, having earned an over lead of 273 runs, reached 201 – 6 at the luncheon interval courtesy of steady partnerships between skipper Leon Johnson and Anthony Bramble and later Johnson and Paul.
Johnson and Bramble came together after the demise of Bhaskar Yadram (1) who was bowled by left-arm wrist spinner Dennis Bulli with the score 114-5.
Bramble, who seemed intent on scoring quick runs from the onset, smashed a delivery from Fabian Allen over midwicket for six, the second ball into his innings and sliced another delivery backwards of point for another boundary to get his innings going.
Johnson, though, was content to work the ball into the gaps for the ones and twos as Jaguars extended the lead.
The pair pushed the score past the 150-run mark after which Bramble was trapped LBW by Bulli for 26, including two fours and a maximum with score 157 – 6.
Johnson and Paul joined forces and continued in the same vein, rotating the strike while picking up the odd boundary.
Paul hammered deliveries from off-spinner Damani Sewell for boundaries either side of the wicket to carry his tally to 32 at the interval while Johnson seemed determined to post a big score, sat on 41 after the duo saw off a testing post-luncheon spell from seamer Derval Green.
The lead at the break was extended to 368.
After the break, Paul slapped a delivery from pacer Jason Dawes through point for four followed by an elegant on drive, down the ground for another boundary.
The Scorpions, soon after employed a negative tactic with Green and Dawes bowling wide of the wicket in an attempt to stem the flow of runs.
Both Paul and Johnson remained patient with the former launching Green back over his head for four to move to 49 while Johnson pulled the same bowler through midwicket to register his fifty.
Green, though, eventually found the outside edge of Johnson’s bat and the catch was taken by wicket keep Romain Morrison. His even 50 came off 144 balls and included four fours and he fell with the score on 229 for 7 after sharing in a 72-run partnership with Paul.
Shortly afterwards Paul reached his 50 as the Jaguars extended the lead beyond the 400-run mark.
Paul then started to free his arms and banged deliveries from both Sewell and Allen for maximums.
The right-hander continued to muscle the Scorpion’s attack and raced to his maiden first-class century with a nudge into the leg side, much to the delight of his teammates who cheered him on from the balcony.
He was eventually bowled for 107 by Bulli (5–104) his fifth wicket of the innings, after facing 129 deliveries, in a knock decorated with 12 fours and four sixes.
He fell with the score on 297 – 8 as Jaguars declared their innings closed at tea on 315-8 after recording a hefty lead of 482 runs.
Scorpions in their second innings reached 61 for two with Assad Fudadin and Brandon King unbeaten on 11 and 22 respectively.
The batsmen dismissed are Trevon Griffith (12) and Garth Garvey (13).
Veerasammy Permaul and Sherfane Rutherford accounted for the two wickets to fall.
SCOREBOARD Jaguars vs Scorpions
JAGUARS 1st Innings 266
SCORPIONS 1st Innings 99
JAGUARS 2nd Innings
(overnight 106 for four)
T Chanderpaul lbw b Allen 33
R Chandrika c wkpr Morrison b Bulli 35
C Hemraj b Sewell 17
*L Johnson c wkpr Morrison b Green 50
G Motie c wkpr Morrison b Bulli 9
B Yadram b Bulli 1
+A Bramble lbw b Bulli 26
K Paul b Bulli 107
S Rutherford not out 16
R Shepherd not out 11
Extras (b2, lb4, w4) 10
TOTAL (8 wkts decl’d, 86.5 overs) 315
Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-85, 3-89, 4-106, 5-114, 6-157, 7-229, 8-297
Bowling: Dawes 9-4-16-0; Green 16-3-51-1 (w4); Garvey 3-0-6-0; Sewell 29-8-90-1; Bulli 22-1-104-5; Allen 8-0-42-1
SCORPIONS 2nd Innings (target: 483)
T Griffith c Yadram b Rutherford 12
G Garvey c Johnson b Permaul 13
A Fudadin not out 11
B King not out 22
Extras (b1, lb2) 3
TOTAL (2 wkts, 34 overs) 61
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-25
Bowling: Shepherd 5-1-16-0; Paul 5-1-5-0; Motie 8-4-10-0; Permaul 11-3-19-1; Rutherford 4-3-6-1; Johnson 1-0-2-0
Position: Scorpions need 421 more runs to win with eight second innings wickets standing
Umpires: N Duguid, D Ramdhanie (Trinidad & Tobago)
Match referee: C Stuart
Reserve umpire: N Shivsankar
