KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Sixteen wickets tumbled as leaders Guyana Jaguars suffered a shock eight-wicket defeat to Jamaica Scorpions inside two days of their eighth round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship here yesterday.
In a low-scoring contest at Sabina Park, the hosts easily chased down 158 for victory with Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood top-scoring with an unbeaten 72 and Brandon King stroking 66 not out.
Scorpions were slumping at 15 for two in the third over before the pair came together in an unbroken stand of 143 to lift their side to their third win of the campaign.
No such result was envisioned when Scorpions, resuming the day on 108 for six, were dismissed for 139 to concede a first innings lead of 19 runs.
Left-hander Assad Fudadin, resuming on 31, finished unbeaten on 43 from 76 deliveries with seven fours as Clinton Pestano ended with four for 31 and fellow seamer Romario Shepherd, three for 30.
For the second time in the match, however, Jaguars’ batting collapsed, bundled out for 138 with ex-Test pacer Jerome Taylor picking up four for 26 and debutant off-spinner Akim Fraser supporting with four for 65.
Wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble top-scored again with 34 from 46 balls, hammering two fours and three sixes while captain Leon Johnson got 31 and Raymon Reifer, 22.
They were 54 for five before Johnson and Reifer posted the best stand of the innings by adding 36 for the sixth wicket.
Once they were separated, Bramble carried the fight to the bowlers before he was last out, caught and bowled by Taylor.
Jaguars entertained hope of victory when Chadwick Walton (3) and captain Paul Palmer (6) perished to catches at the wicket off the new-ball pair of Pestano and Shepherd respectively.
However, Blackwood struck three fours and five sixes in a lively 86-ball knock while King stroked four fours and a six off 92 deliveries, to deny the four-time reigning champions.
