The Guyana Jaguars opened their campaign with a 36-run win over English side Kent CCC yesterday in their opening encounter of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Super50 title.
The Guyana Jaguars won the toss and elected to bat at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua posting 233 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul top scoring with 67 but
Left arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul with four wickets and leg spinner Devendra Bishoo with three wickets spun the match in favor of the Jaguars.
Jagaurs began their innings steady but lost opener Shimron Hetmyer to Ivan Thomas for a fiery 19 off 18 deliveries, ending a 37-run opening stand with veteran Chanderpaul.
A middle order collapse ensued with Jaguars losing Chandrapaul Hemraj and skipper Leon Johnson both without scoring in a Mitchell Claydon over that went for only two runs. Both players faced only three deliveries. Hemraj was the first to go to an excellent return catch to Claydon.
Jaguars then began to consolidate Chanderpaul and Raymon Reifer at the crease, the pair adding 56 runs before Reifer was dismissed by Kent captain, Will Gidman just after drinks for 16 after facing some 44 deliveries.
In the 26th over, Chanderpaul forced a single to cover to bring up his half century from 81 deliveries, his 98th in List A matches.
Anthony Bramble, who scored a blistering half century in the warm up match came to the wicket and immediately took the fight to the Kent bowling attack. Bramble smacked Imran Qayyum for two sixes and one four, forcing the Kent captain to ring the changes.
Chanderpaul too got into the act by slapping a delivery from Gidman for a six in the final delivery of the 32nd over to bring up the 50-run partnership.
Calum Huggent returned for a second spell and was hit for a four by Bramble off his first delivery before trapping Bramble LBW the next ball for 39.
Chanderpaul fell in the next over also LBW to Gidman for 67 from 97 deliveries, leaving Sherfane Rutherford on seven to be joined by Keemo Paul with Guyana Jaguars at 155/6 in the 34th over.
Paul didn’t last long scoring nine runs including a six before falling to Ivan Thomas.
The lower order though, resisted stubbornly and the 200-run mark was brought up with a couple to Rutherford in the 43rd over. Rutherford and Romario Shepherd then featured in a stand of 38 at better than a run a ball. However the innings ended when Rutherford played a loose shot at a delivery from Claydon and was caught by Zak Crawley, going down for 24.
In Claydon’s next over he removed Shepherd for 29 from just 25 balls as the Jaguars reached 219/9.
A useful 10th wicket partnership between Berbice spin twin, Permaul and Bishoo contributed a vital 14 runs and the innings ended when
Permaul tried to heave Claydon over wide long on only to be caught by Crawley.
Claydon captured five of the wickets as the Guyana Jaguars were bowled out for 233 from 49.1 overs.
Kent began their hunt for 234 in fine style with openers Daniel Bell-Drummond and Crawley posting a 58-run opening stand.
They seemed to be coasting until left arm off spinner Permaul bamboozled Bell-Drummond with a flighted delivery in just his second over. Sean Dickson joined Crawley and the pair added another healthy partnership worth 61 runs before Dickson fell to Permaul for 29. With the score 2-119 Kent were sailing but 10 runs later Bishoo struck the timber to dismiss danger man Crawley who scored 60 and excellent work by Johnson resulted in the run out of Adam Rouse who failed to add to the scoreboard.
Bishoo later removed Gidman (16) and Alex Blake (9) in successive overs to have Kent reeling at 153-6 in the 37th over.
Permaul had Tredwell playing all over a delivery only to be bowled for 10 while Qayyum was stumped swiftly by Bramble off the bowling of Permaul to end the hopes of winning the match for Kent.
However, a late flourish in the 10th wicket stand saw Thomas and Claydon getting a few lucky shots, even hitting Paul for a six and Shepherd for a four. But sensible bowling by shepherd sent Thomas’ timber cartwheeling, giving the Jaguars their opening round win.
Jaguars will play the United States of America tomorrow with bowl off set at 14:00h.
