The Guyana Jaguars found themselves stuttering late in the day with the bat after bowling Leeward Islands’ Hurricanes out for 182 in their first innings of the second round in the Cricket West Indies Regional four-day tournament.
Play at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua yesterday saw the Jaguars winning the toss and sending the Hurricanes in to bat. Despite half centuries from Devon Thomas and Montcin Hodge, the Hurricanes went ‘belly up’ after lunch to fold for 182-10 in 62.3 overs.
Jaguars, in reply, closed off day one at 36-2, having faced 17 overs and trailing by 146 runs.
Hurricanes recovered after Guyanese Rajendra Chandrika was bowled by Keon Joseph for nine. Following Chandrika’s departure, with the score at 14-1, Hodge and Keacy Carty shared in a half century stand. The duo saw their side go into lunch 67-1 and came out with intent before Carty edged Romario Shepherd to Anthony Bramble who took a comfortable chest high catch behind the stumps. Carty departed for 28 from 62 balls, hitting four boundaries along the way and ending the partnership of 69 from 159 balls.
In bringing up his 23rd first class half century, Hodge pulled Shepherd into the legside and scampered for two runs but fell right after by pulling into the hands of Tagenarine Chanderpaul at mid-wicket. The Anguillan faced 127 balls for his half century consisting of seven boundaries.
Akeem Saunders was trapped leg before wicket by Shepherd without scoring while Rahkeem Cornwall trying to cut, feathered a faint edge into the gloves of Bramble keeping up to the stumps.
Thomas kept the scoreboard turning over with some aggressive stroke play, racing to his 17th half century from 53 balls. He found company in the middle with Orlando Peters who faced 43 balls in his innings that contributed nine runs before edging Clinton Pestano into the hands of Christopher Barnwell at second slip. Thomas soon departed after being stumped off the bowling of left arm spinner Gudakesh Motie who wrapped up the lower order in a blitz to finish with 3-23 while Shepherd’s early start allowed him to finish with 4-36.
When the Jaguars came out to bat late in the day, a good start from openers Chanderpaul and Trevon Griffith looked to see the defending champions off on a high. However, Griffith swept Cornwall to fine leg and kicked off a sharp single but did not see Chanderpaul signalling him to stay and the two batsmen ended up at the strikers’ end. Griffith was run out for the second time in three innings so far, this time for 12 from 34 balls.
The Jaguars’ skipper, Leon Johnson also fell before close of play, leaving Chanderpaul unbeaten on 14 from 46 balls along with Pestano yet to score.
