Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s protracted century, Trevon Griffith’s spectacular slip fielding, along with a deadly spell from Keemo Paul, gave the Guyana Jaguars the upper hand at the close of the second day of their fourth-round, Cricket West Indies (CWI) four-day clash against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Providence National Stadium yesterday.
Chanderpaul, son of former West Indies batting great, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, scored his second Regional four-day century to help the Guyana Jaguars declare their first innings at 454-9.
Romario Shepherd, who resumed yesterday morning along with Chanderpaul, blasted 72 runs as the Guyana Jaguars strengthened their position.
Paul and to a lesser extent Griffith then left the Windward Islands Volcanoes reeling at 99-5, trailing by 355 runs.
`Young Tiger’ the 22-year-old left hander, resumed yesterday on 71 and the defending champions on 307-6.
His tedious stay at the crease saw him batting for nine and a half hours, facing 484 balls for his unbeaten 117 when the Jaguars declared after facing 148 overs.
He struck 10 boundaries, bringing up his century exactly one year after he scored his maiden first-class century against Barbados Pride.
The partnership saw Shepherd smashing Shermon Lewis for two boundaries in the first over, the first through mid-wicket off the first ball of the day and two balls later down the ground for the same result.
Shepherd continued his dominant batting, bashing left-arm spinner, Kavem Hodge for a six over long-off and a four to long-on off consecutive deliveries to bring up his second half century at the Regional first-class level.
The towering all-rounder from Berbice favoured shots down the ground, hitting Ray Jordan back into the sight screen for a boundary, in the process bringing up the century stand between the two as well as the 400th run for Jaguars in the 130th over.
At lunch, the Jaguars were 403-6.
The partnership was broken on 121 when Shepherd gifted Devon Smith a catch at second slip, departing for his highest score at this level, 72, from 142 balls with two sixes and six fours. Shepherd’s wicket was 27-year-old Police Officer, Josh Thomas’s fourth. He eventually finished with 4-94
Clinton Pestano joined Chanderpaul at the crease and scored a quick-fire 20 before mistiming a shot high into the air, giving Roland Cato enough time to settle under it and secure the catch.
With the loss of Veerasammy Permaul cheaply, Jaguars declared after passing the 450-mark while Volcanoes went in for tea on 19-0.
When the match resumed, the session belonged to Paul who picked up 4-24. It didn’t take long for him to break the edge of Devon Smith’s bat (17) with Trevon Griffith taking the catch at second slip.
Griffith pulled off a second stunner, snatching a low catch in front of Leon Johnson at first slip off Paul to dismiss Cato for 14 and the score 56-2.
For the third time, Paul found the edge of another batsman, this time that of the skipper, Kirk Edwards and Griffith diving to his right again came up with the goods.
Paul once again found the edge of Hodge’s bat for wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble to take a low catch leaving Volcanoes subdued at 68-4.
With the two left arm spinners in operation, Gabriel popped a delivery back to Permaul who pounced to his right and pull off a splendid one-handed catch and remove him for 23.
However, Alick Athanaze (25 not out) and Denis Smith (three not out) calmed the Volcanoes innings somewhat with an unbroken partnership of 18 to see their side to the close of play.
The match resumes tomorrow at 09.30 hrs.
