An unbeaten half century from Guyana Jaguars skipper, Leon Johnson, helped his side defeat the Jamaica Scorpions by seven wickets on yesterday’s final day of the seventh round Cricket West Indies Regional Four-Day encounter at the National Stadium, Providence yesterday.
Jaguars resumed the day on 25 without loss, requiring 170 to win and after a late start due to rain, reached 171-3 from 43 overs to solidify their position at the top of the table.
Chandrapaul Hemraj resumed his typical flamboyant innings by cutting the fourth ball of Jerome Taylor’s first over into the backward point boundary as he raced to 42 from 29 balls with seven fours and one six.
During his stay at the crease, the 25-year-old West Indies batsman punched a delivery from leg-spinner, Dennis Bulli down to long off for a boundary and followed that up by him hooking the next delivery for six over midwicket.
Hemraj was eventually undone by Taylor who got the ball to peel away and the outside edge rocketed into the hands of Brandon King at gully, breaking the 57-run opening stand with Tagenarine Chanderpaul.
Chanderpaul was joined by Sherfane Rutherford who spent just 15 minutes at the crease until the bails of his stumps were sent flying by Derval Green as he attempted a pull shot off the first ball after the drinks break.
Chanderpaul soon followed, dismissed lbw by off-spinner, Kenroy Williams for 33 from 73 balls.
Johnson and Vishaul Singh began their vigilant watch to see their side to lunch at 108-3, still 62 runs away from victory.
The two test cricketers rotated the strike and picked the gaps to perfection during their unbeaten 78-run partnership.
Man-of-the-match, Johnson was the more aggressive, hitting 10 fours and one six 
during his unbeaten 61 which spanned 96 minutes and 86 balls.
The left-handed batsman slapped Jermaine Blackwood into backward point to bring up his 36th first class 50 and second of the match.
Singh supported with an unbeaten 26 from 57 balls in just over one hour at the crease, stroking three boundaries.
After the match, Hemraj stated that it was good to get some runs under his belt, pointing out that he would have liked to get at least a half century.
He, however, said he plans to score at least two centuries before the tournament ends.
Both Hemraj and head coach, Rayon Griffith commended Johnson for scoring half centuries in each innings and welcomed the captain’s return to form.
