CWI Digicel Regional 4-day C/Ships... Singh’s defiant unbeaten 97 keep Jaguars alive, but Hurricanes enforce follow-on

CWI Digicel Regional 4-day C/Ships… Singh’s defiant unbeaten 97 keep Jaguars alive, but Hurricanes enforce follow-on

Nov 12, 2017 Sports

By Sean Devers in St Kitts
In association with Vnet Communications
& Connections Travel

A defiant unbeaten 97 by Guyana Jaguars’ 28-year-old Vishaul Singh kept the Jaguars alive although it was not enough to prevent the Leewards Hurricanes from enforcing the follow-on as their third day of the third round CWI Digicel Regional four-day game ended yesterday at Warner Park.
Singh, who was not out on 91 from 140 balls with 12 fours, shared in half-century partnerships with Sherfane Rutherford and last man Keon Joseph as the Jaguars recovered from the loss of Kemo Paul (4) off the second ball of the day at 67-7 and recovered to reach 206 all out.
Off-spinner Terrence Warde (4-48), Jeremiah Louis (2-50) and Skipper Rakeem Cornwall (2-62) did the damage with the ball for Hurricanes who had made 412-9 declared in the first innings.
Joseph, who fell five short of highest score of 20, faced 45 balls and reached the boundary twice shared in a record last wicket stand with Singh of 75, while Rutherford, one of six left-handers in the Jaguars side, made 32 with four fours and a six from 60 balls.
The Jaguars following-on were 53-2 at the end of the day, still 151 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat.
The Jaguars again failed to get a start as Chanderpaul Hemraj was taken at slip off Mervin Matthew for a duck at 1-2 before Tagenarine Chanderpaul was joined by Skipper Leon Johnson and together they carried the score to 35 before Tagenarine Chanderpaul (16) was trapped LBW by Nkrumah Bonner.
Johnson (27) and Permaul (6) saw Jaguars to the close with gritty and responsible batting to set what could be an intriguing final day, especially if Guyana scores anything over 350.
Earlier, the badly wounded Jaguars resumed on 53-6, still 359 away from their target and it is said that a Jaguar is at its most dangerous when wounded. When Singh, on 17 and Paul yet to face a ball, walked out to bat before empty stands on a Saturday morning blessed with brilliant sunshine, the Guyana camp would have been hoping that this was true.
It is also said that if you feed your faith your doubt will starve to death and as Paul got going by hitting Warde for four off the first ball of the day, the Jaguars camp wanted to believe.
But their hopes were soon dashed when Paul (4) was trapped LBW off the next ball as the Jaguars slumped to 67-7.
Rutherford played a commanding square drive off Louis as a partnership was badly needed.
Rutherford seemed determined to bat ‘long’ but played some delightful off-side drives from backward point to mid-off as he hit four boundaries off Louis and then swatted Cornwall for six over mid-wicket, while he played some sweetly timed cover drives and neat flick off his pads.
A glorious cover driven boundary off Cornwall by Rutherford was possibly the shot of the day as the eight wicket partnership began to flourish on a good pitch and small and lush green outfield.
Rutherford restrained his natural aggression but was quick to pounce on the bad balls, while Singh, with three Tests under his belt, demonstrated his usual good temperament and together brought up the 50 stand from 62 minutes and 97 balls.
But Warde, bowling a lot slower and with more flight than Cornwall, beat Rutherford in the air and Jamal Hamilton pulled off a stupendous catch to send the left-handed teenager on his way to leave the score 117-8.
Romario Shepherd (13) threw his wicket away when he lofted Warde to long-off at 131-9.
Singh pulled Cornwall for his sixth four to bring up his 11th First-Class fifty from 118 balls and 190 minutes and along with last man Keon Joseph took the Jaguars to Lunch, which was extended by 30 minutes due to the last pair being at the crease, on 169-9. Singh was on 69 and Joseph, offering excellent support on seven.
After the break Singh danced into Warde and hit him over mid-on for four and pulled him for another four when he bowled short, while Joseph played with excellent technique before falling five short of highest score of 20 as the record of the highest last wicket stand by Guyana by Shiv Chanderpaul and Brandon Bess against Barbados in 2012 was broken yesterday.
Scores: HURRICANES 412 for nine declared (Montcin Hodge 91, Keacy Carty 82, Jahmar Hamilton 56, Terrance Ward 52, Chesney Hughes 32; Sherfane Rutherford 3-92, Romario Shepherd 2-64, Veerasammy Permaul 2-104).
JAGUARS 206 (Vishaul Singh 97 not out, Sherfane Rutherford 32, Chanderpaul Hemraj 23; Terrance Ward 4-48, Jeremiah Louis 2-52, Rahkeem Cornwall 2-62) and 53 for two (Leon Johnson 27 not out).