WICB First-Class Cricket Franchise …Jaguars reach 264-6 on opening day as Chandrika, Bramble hit fifties

Mar 14, 2015 Sports

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By Sean Devers
On another flat Providence track the Guyana Jaguars openers produced a firm foundation

for their team, but by the time the opening day of their ninth round encounter against Trinidad & Tobago’s Red Force in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) First-Class cricket Franchise ended yesterday at Providence, the T&T spinners had engineered purposeful fight back despite a late after rally from Vishaul Singh and Anthony Bramble kept the Jaguars in front.
The Jaguars slipped from 133-1 to 186-6 before Anthony Bramble (51) and Vishaul Singh (46) revived the position with a crucial unfinished 78-run seventh wicket partnership to see the Jaguars to 264-6 by the close of play.
Rajendra Chandrika (50), Assad Fudadin (44) and skipper Leon Johnson (49) all wasted solid starts as leg-spinner Imran Khan, only behind Veerasammy Permaul’s 58 wickets, took 3-55 to take his tally to 49, while off-spinner Jason Mohamed supported with 2-44 to set up an interesting second day today.
The Jaguars won the toss and opted to bat on a slow track despite the evidence of some grass on the surface. Chandrika capitalized on being dropped at second slip by Mohamed on 15 off Marlon Richards, who was born in Linden, while Fudadin played the supporting role.
Chandrika steered Gabriel to third man for four and square drove Richards for another boundary before caressing him magnificently to the extra cover boundary in the same over. Fudadin, who started tentatively, then pushed Gabriel effortlessly through cover for a boundary.

Chandrika stroked Richards disdainfully past mid-off for four as the fifty partnership was posted in the 15th over on fast outfield before Fudadin danced into off-spinner Yannick Ottley and clipped him off his pads for another four.
Chandrika swept Ottley for four and hammered Riad Emrit for a couple of sumptuous boundaries in the same over as the partnership flourished. But like he has done so often in recent times he lost his wicket when well set for a big score; flicking Emrit low to Brian Charles at Square-leg.  Chandrika’s fifth half-century of the season lasted 69 balls, 97 minutes and included nine fours. His demise left the score on 74-1 and the enterprising opener from the Village of Enterprise was still without a First-Class ton to his name.
Johnson got off the mark with consecutive boundaries off Ottley while Fudadin began to play more fluently as his innings progressed and confidently drove Emrit for four as the Jaguars went to Lunch on 91-1. Fudadin was on 22 and Johnson 13.
After Lunch, the few spectators saw Johnson clobber Mohamed for a six and two fours off the first three deliveries in the first over after the interval to race past Fudadin.

Johnson lofted leg-spinner Imran Khan for six to move to 49 but next ball got one that bounced and he was taken at short leg, to break the 59-run stand between him and Fudadin. Johnson, who just missed a third consecutive fifty, faced 61 balls, batted for 64 minutes and hit six fours and two sixes in his entertaining knock.
Without addition to the score and in the same over, Narsingh Deonarine missed a pull at one that kept low and was LBW to give Khan his 48th victim as the Jaguars slipped to 133-3.
Singh joined Fudadin, who deposited Khan back over his head for six and the left-handed pair took few risks to carry the score to 165 before Fudadin also departed after doing all the hard work when he was caught and bowled by Mohamed. His 44 took 148 balls, 201 minutes and was decorated with five fours and a six.
The usually reliable Shiv Chanderpaul, in his 341stgame at this level, never suggested permanence and charged down the track to Mohamed off the second ball he faced, missed an injudicious swing and was miss-stumped.
However, Mohamed had the last laugh when the veteran 40-year-old left-hander, with 70 First-Class tons, strangely opted to play no shot to a ball that would have crashed into his stumps and was LBW for two as the Jaguars slumped to 167-5.
His last three innings has produced scores of 13, 4 and 2 and the batting of the prolific Test player who has made a tremendous contribution to Guyana’s cricket in his 23-year First-Class career, seems to be on the decline.
Khan removed Barnwell (14) to capture his third wicket on the stroke of Tea to leave Guyana on 185-6 from 60.5 overs in a session in which the Red Force fought back wonderfully to take five wickets and concede 94 runs.
After Tea, Bramble went on his toes and smashed Gabriel behind point for four while Singh picked the gaps nicely as the pair repaired the damage as the Red Force took the second new ball.
Bramble was the aggressor and pulled and cut the expensive Gabriel for a couple of boundaries before a spanking cut off Richards reached the ropes in the wink of an eye. He soon reached his second fifty of the season from 104 minutes, 75 minutes with six fours while Singh hit his third boundary in the final over of the day.
Bramble has so far faced 88 balls, batted for 170 minutes and struck six fours while Singh’s innings has lasted 148 balls, 200 minutes and included three fours.
Play on the second day today is scheduled to start at 10:00hrs.

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