PCL First-Class cricket… Hodge’s maiden ton put Hurricanes in charge

Mar 13, 2016 Sports

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Jaguars 61-3 in reply to Hurricanes’ 430

By Sean Devers in Antigua
In association with Care Cottages Antigua & Noble House Seafoods
A maiden unbeaten 149 from 28-year-old Montcin Hodge highlighted the second day of the ninth round PCL First-Class four-day cricket match between Leewards Hurricanes and Guyana Jaguars at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium yesterday.
Hodge faced 392 balls, 513 minutes and reached the boundary 17 fours in his 149 not out. He got support from Gavin Tonge (59), Kieran Powell (55), Daron Cruickshank (43), Keacy Carty (33) and Skipper Orlando Peters (29) all got starts as the Hurricanes reached 430, their highest total for the season. Chris Barnwell (2-68), Veerasammy Permaul (2-77), Ronsford Beaton (2-82), Raymon Reifer (2-83), Devendra Bishoo (2-115) shared the wickets for the Jaguars who ended the day on 61-3 from 35 overs.
Rajendra Chandrika got off the mark with an edge off Alzarri Joseph, being given caught behind off the West Indies under-19 speedster but the ball seemed to have touched only his pad and the Jaguars were 6-1. Leon Johnson, who along with his team-mate Vishaul Singh are the only batsmen with 600 runs, was next to go at 23-2 when he was stupendously taken down the leg-side by Jahmar Hamilton off Tonge for 12. Tagenarine Chanderpaul laboured for 79 balls and 114 minutes for 13 runs. The 19-year-old left-hander got himself bogged down before he was caught behind in the 28th over at 52-3.  Night watchman Bishoo (2) joined Singh who has so far faced 65 balls for his 20, and together they played in a watchful manner to remain unbeaten at the end of the day with the Jaguars 369 runs adrift of the Hurricanes total.
Earlier, the Jaguars struck with the first ball of the day when pacer Beaton induced Peters (29) to edge a catch to Keeper Anthony Bramble before the Hurricanes had added to their overnight score of 237-3. But at the completion of Reifer over, a short sharp shower sent the players scampering off the field and caught the ground-staff completely off-guard with the score 43-4 after two overs.
The sun returned in all of its glory and play resumed after a 26-minute stoppage with Hodge and Jahmar Hamilton, the only Leewards batsman with a century before this round, at the crease. Hamilton square drove Beaton for four before bringing up the 250 in 537 minutes and a second batting point for the hosts with a cover driven boundary off Reifer and the very disappointing Saturday turnout of no more than 20 spectators enjoyed the strokes. Another cluster of dark clouds gathered over the stadium as Hamilton sweetly drove Refier for four but Beaton soon trapped him LBW for 20 to leave the Hurricanes on 267-5.
The burly 23-year-old Rakeem Cornwall joined Hodge who passed his previous highest of 78 but with the score on 283 Cornwall (11) was well taken at second slip by Johnson driving at a wide ball off Barnwell. Jacques Taylor joined Hodge who stroked Permaul for four to move to 96 before Taylor (6) inexplicably played no shot to a ‘slider’ and was trapped plumb in front at 298-7. Hodge turned Bishoo for a single to post his first three figure score in his 43rd First-Class game since his debut in 2008. His century came in 361 minutes, 276 balls and was decorated with 12 fours.
The 300 came in 109.1 overs and provided the Hurricanes their third and final batting point. Hodge (105) and Jeremiah Louis (10) then saw their team to Lunch at 319-7. After Lunch the pair extended their partnership to 40 with Louis taking most of the strike. Louis (18) pushed forward to Bishoo and Tagenarine Chanderpaul at silly mid-off took another sharp catch under the bat to leave the Hurricanes on 338-8. Tonge got off the mark with a spanking boundary off Beaton who responded with a vicious bouncer which had Tonge awkwardly taking evasive action on a track which had become easy paced. Tonge clobbered Beaton back past his ankles and pulled him one-bounce over square-leg for boundaries in his next over forcing Johnson to replace Beaton with Barnwell as Leewards passed their highest total for the season of 368-8 against Jamaica.
Tonge danced into Bishoo and dumped him for six and pulled him for four two balls later. Hodge continued to bat solidly and allowed Tonge to be the aggressor as the 50-run ninth wicket stand was posted from 63 balls with eight fours and a six. The 33-year-old Tonge hammered Reifer over his head for a boundary as the Leewards joined Guyana (twice) Barbados & T&T as the teams with 400 totals this season. The 400 took 826 balls and included 47 fours and five sixes. Tonge celebrated with a six and a four off Permaul as he closed in on his sixth First-Class fifty. When two away from that landmark Tonge survived a confident caught behind appeal off Reifer. He soon reached his 50 from 55 balls, 82 minutes six fours and two sixes.
After hitting Reifer for a straight six Tonge skied the ball ‘miles’ into air for Tagenarine Chanderpaul to hold a well judged catch running back from cover as Reifer struck after Tonge was put down at mid-on by Johnson off his bowling. Tonge’s 59 lasted 91 minutes, 63 balls and included six fours and three sixes and his demise left the Hurricanes on 429-9. The 91-run ninth wicket stand was 17 short of the record (108) for this season set by Marlon Richards and Uthman Mohamed for T&T against Guyana at Providence last year. Reifer then had Joseph caught behind for a duck one run later leaving Hodge stranded on 149.

Scoreboard:
Hurricanes 1st Inns
K Powell c Reifer b Barnwell        55
K Carty c & b Permaul                   33
M Hodge not out                          149
D Cruickshank lbw b Permaul       43
O Peters c wkp Bramble b Beaton 29
J Hamilton LBW b Beaton            20
R Cornwall c Johnson b Barnwell 11
J Taylor LBW b Bishoo                   6
J Louis c T Chanderpaul b Bishoo 18
G Tonge c T Chanderpaul b Reifer 59
Extras (lb-1, w-1, nb-1, b-4)              7
Total (for 10 wkts off 130 overs) 430

Fow: 76, 114, 172, 237,267, 283, 298,338, 429, 430

Bowling: Beaton 25-5-82-2, Reifer 27-5-83-2
Barnwell 18-2-68-2, Bishoo 39-8-115-2,
Permaul 40-16-77-2

Jaguars 1st inns
R Chandrika c wkp Hamilton b Joseph 4
T Chanderpaul c Hamilton b Cornwall 13
L Johnson c wkp Hamilton b Tonge     12
V Singh not out                                      20
D Bishoo not out                                      2
Extras (lb-5, b-4, w-1)                            10
Total (for 3 wkts off 35 overs)              61

Fow: 6, 23, 52,

Bowling: Tonge 8-3-91, Joseph7-1-14-1,
Louis 6-2-5-0, Cornwall 9-4-15-1,
Cruikshank 2-0-6-0, Powell 1-0-1-0, Taylor 2-1-2-0

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