Guyana advance to first final since 2009 Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 98 lead Jaguars to 6-Wkt win over Jamaica

Jan 23, 2015 Sports

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By Sean Devers in Trinidad in association with Carib Beer, GT&T, Lifetime Reality & Cascadia Hotel

Watched by a disappointing working day turnout in the height of the Carnival season here, the Guyana Jaguars led by an unbeaten 98 from Shiv

Chanderpaul advanced to Sunday’s final of the NAGIO Super50 cricket tournament with a commanding six-wicket win against Jamaica last night at the Queen’s Park Oval under lights.
Guyana has reached the semis seven times in the last decade but this was just their second final since Trinidad & Tobago beat them in the 2009 Final. They restricted Jamaica to 188-9 despite 64 from 79 balls with seven fours and a six from Horace Miller as left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (3-38) and Devendra Bishoo (3-33) did the damage with the ball for the South American based team.
The Jaguars, who strangely left out Paul Wintz, out of form opener Trevon Griffith and Jonathon Foo who is still ill, responded with 189-4. Chanderpaul top scored with a well crafted unbeaten 98 from 142 balls with six fours and was supported by Royston Crandon who finished on 45 not out from 51 balls with three fours and a six, the pair featured in an unbroken 99-run fifth wicket partnership from 101 balls. John Campbell took three wickets for the lads from Reggie Country in a losing effort.
The stylish Rajendra Chandrika (5) was LBW to Green at 17-1 and Chanderpaul, who opened the batting, was joined by the Guyana Four-Day skipper Vishaul Singh, whose only innings at this level produced 49 runs from 99 balls and he once again struggled to get the ball away.
Bernard replaced Mindley and eased the pressure on the Jaguars with the ‘Tiger’ looking increasingly comfortable even as the diminutive Singh took 20 balls to score his first run.
However, the pair looked more and more solid as their partnership progressed and the 50 partnership came up off of 105 and while Chanderpaul was

not at his fluent best both batsmen were beginning look well set for a good score when Singh who faced 42 dot balls in his 60-ball 18 was bowled by Campbell who had Raymond Reifer caught and bowled for a duck to leave the Jaguars on 76-3 and Campbell on a hat-trick.
Barnwell, who averted the hat-trick was soon LBW to Campbell for six at 90-4 but the experienced Chanderpaul was still there like a rock. With the asking rate under six, all the others needed to do was to insure they stayed with the ‘Tiger’ who has played the most Test matches by any West Indian player.
Crandon, the only player apart from Chanderpaul with a ton at this level to his name, came out in a positive mood and cut Miller majestically behind point for four while Chanderpaul rocked onto the back foot and cut Miller for three as the left-arm spinner conceded 11 runs, his most expensive over in the entire tournament.
The fifth wicket pair moved the Jaguars closer to a chance of winning their 10th Regional 50-over title and first since 2005 with intelligent batting. Chanderpaul reached his 94th List ‘A’ half-century and 20th at the Regional level needing 105 balls with four boundaries.
Earlier, on a track which offered assistance to the bowlers in glorious sunshine on a pristine outfield, Jamaica put in to bat were off to a solid but slow start as Nkrumah Bonner and Campbell built a foundation for their side.
Ronsford Beaten found work hard on a track which has gotten slower as the tournament has progressed, struggled for control and was replaced Barnwell after bowling two overs.
Steven Jacobs opened the bowling with his off-spin and after a wayward opening over, kept the shackles on the Jamaican openers, he and Barnwell kept the pressure on the batsmen as the first 10 power-play overs just cost 35 runs.
Two wickets fell with the score on 51 when Campbell was trapped LBW to Jacobs for a 49-ball 21 with two fours before Bonner, who hit three fours and faced 46 balls in his 24, hit a ball straight to Chanderpaul at short cover and was run out by half the length of the pitch.
Test player Jermaine Blackwood (1) was LBW to Permaul, who also got rid of Danza Hyatt for a duck, caught behind by Bramble as another two wickets tumbled with the score on 54. Horace Miller and Andre McCarty joined forces and tried to repair the damage with a battling 24-run stand as the spinners continued to pin the batsmen down before McCarty (13) holed out to long-on as he tried go after Royston Crandon in the 30th over, Jamaica slipping to 79-5.
Horace Miller and David Bernard, who attacked the bowlers skied a ball that Bishoo held back to Beaton fielding at extra cover to leave Jamaica, hunting their eighth title at this level, at 116-6 after making 14.
Horace Miller upped the tempo and swept Crandon for boundaries in his final over to spoil his impressive figures of 10-1-38-1 while he lofted Bishoo for six on top of the sight screen. Deval Browne (11) played a massive sweep at Permaul and hit the ball high into the air for Bramble to take the catch before Bishoo removed Nikita Miller (5) while Horace Miller, who reached his 50 from 68 balls with six fours and a six, eventually departed when he was bowled by Bishoo to leave Jamaica on 171-9.
Damion Jacobs (10*) and Marquino Mindley (11*) added 17 for the last wicket to see the Jamaicans 12 short of a 200 total. The Jaguars will play the winner the second semi-final which is scheduled for today between host Trinidad & Tobago’s Red Force and surprise semi-finalist Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) Marooners in another Day/Night encounter from 13:30 hrs in the final on Sunday.

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