Guyana’s 2017 cricket review (Part 1)…Jaguars dominate FC Cricket after first ever Tie

Jan 03, 2018 Sports

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But struggle continues in 50-over format

By Sean Devers
Three times defending CWI Digicel Regional Four-Day Cricket Champions and leaders Guyana Jaguars are just three games away from a fourth consecutive First-Class title when the tournament resumes tomorrow with Guyana facing Jamaica in Reggae Country.

The Jaguars start tomorrow’s game with 118 points from seven matches. The South American Franchise won five matches, drew once and featured in the historic Tie against the Windwards Volcanoes at Providence. This was the first ever Tie in a First-Class match in the West Indies and only the 62nd in over 300 years of First-Class Cricket.
Jaguars are 42.2 points ahead of second placed Barbados Pride with75.2 points. Red Force (71.6), Jamaica (71.4), Leewards (61) and Windwards Volcanoes (52.2) follow in that order and a draw in Jamaica will give them the title and provide Leon Johnson his fourth consecutive title as Captain. The 30-year-old Johnson needs only one more title next year to join Tamar Lambert’s record five in a row which he achieved from 2009-2013.
Only two teams (Barbados in 2014) and the Leewards (in 2016 & 2017) have beaten the Jaguars in their last 35 games which means Guyana were only beaten once in 11 First-Class games in 2017.
Devon Smith has 873 runs with a record five centuries, Denish Ramdin has scored 564 runs with three centuries and Jaguars Keeper Anthony Bramble, who has 481 runs with an unbeaten 196 and three centuries and an Average of 60.13 from 10 innings, are the top three batsmen in the aggregate after seven rounds of action last year.
Jaguars’ left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul has captured 41 wickets, the most in the tournament. Imran Khan (36) and Jomal Warrican (32), both spinners, are second and third in the wickets column.
Vishaul Singh, who missed the first game against Jamaica at Providence batted 10 times and scored 464 runs with two tons and two fifties at an average of 66.29, while Johnson’s 367 runs from 12 innings with two fifties and a century at an average of 30.58 in third in the runs tally for Guyana.
Singh (2), Shiv Chanderpaul, Johnson, Bramble and Kemo Paul have all scored centuries in the first seven rounds.
Chanderpaul Hemraj with 353 runs at an Average of 29.2 with three fifties and Tagenarine Chanderpaul who has 332 runs from 13 innings with three fifties at an Average of 32.20 and a strike rate of 30.78 are the other Guyanese with 300 runs this season, while Tagenarine’s father, the 43 year-old Shivnarine, is the only other batsman with 250 runs.
Shiv has 267 runs from seven innings at an Average of 38.14 with a fifty and his 20th Regional First-Class ton. Nineteen-year-old fast bowing all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford has 239 runs with one fifty and 19 wickets.
Paul, another 19-year-old, scored Guyana’s first century for this season but only managed 78 runs in his next nine innings. However, the young pacer has bowled brilliantly and has 27 wickets from seven matches, the most by a Guyanese fast bowler this season.
The 22-year-old Romario Shepherd, another fast bowling all-rounder, has 10 wickets and 75 runs from five matches, while among the specialists bowlers, 22-year-old left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie has 143 runs from seven innings including his only fifty, an unbeaten 72 as night watchman. Motie also took 15 wickets at an average of 22.33 to bring his tally to 79 from 22 First-Class matches.
The 26-year-old Keon Joseph, leader of the pace pack, captured 14 wickets from five matches at an average of 23.57. Joseph is likely to get the seven wickets he needs for a 100 First-Class wickets from the remaining three matches this season.
Jaguars started 2017 by failing to reach the semi-finals of the Regional Super50 tournament in Barbados. Guyana has nine titles but none since they beat Barbados at Bourda in 2005 and again did not fire in the 50-over format as only Shiv and Assad Fudadin got centuries for Guyana.
Guyana Jaguars played in group “B” of the Tournament along with Jamaica Scorpions, ICC Americas, GCC Marooners, and Barbados Pride.
Host Barbados Pride defeated Guyana Jaguars by 145 runs in the opening round with Kraigg Braithwaite scoring 101 as Barbados made 302-7 off their 50 overs. Jaguars were bowled out for 157 off 32 overs despite Johnson’s 55.
In the second round Jamaica won by 41 runs on January 26 as Shiv Chanderpaul’s 101 failed to prevent Jaguars from being dismissed for 208 in 44 overs, replying to Jamaica’s 250-8.
Jaguars defeated CCC Marooners by 8 wickets at Kensington Oval after reaching 130-2 in 26.3 overs in reply to Marooners 129 all out as Rajendra Chandrika’s unbeaten 43 provided Guyana with their first win.
Jaguars got their second victory with a 5-run win against ICC America’s on the Duckworth-Lewis system after bad light stopped play. Johnson’s 78 left the Jaguars on 212-4 replying to ICC America’s 220-7 when the game was halted.
Another win followed with a six-wicket win over CCC Marooners who made 188. Johnson continued his good form with 71 and Chanderpaul supported with an undefeated 58.
Jaguars were again beaten by Barbados in a last over thriller. After making 186 Barbados reached 188-8 with three balls to spare before Jaguars lost their next game to Jamaica by 20 runs.

Jaguars defeated ICC America by eight wickets in their last match when Shimron Hetmyer fell six short Guyana’s third century in the tournament as Jaguars galloped to 172-2 in 28.1 overs replying to the opposition’s 170 in 48.1 overs.
After the completion of the Regional Super50, the 2016 First-Class tournament resumed on March 10 with sixth round matches and Jaguars beat Jamaica by seven wickets at Sabina Park.
Chadwick Walton’s 101 rallied Jamaica to 255 in their first innings as Joseph grabbed a career best 7-53. Guyana led by half centuries from Hetmyer (74) and Shiv (57) made 262 to gain a slim lead.
Jamaica in their second innings fell for 188 as Raymon Reifer took 5-60 before Guyana, led by an unbeaten 63 from Singh, reached 184 to win.
Jaguars defeated T&T’s Red Force by 10 wickets in Trinidad after the hosts made 202 & 183 with Permaul taking 7-48.
Jaguars made 330 all out with Assad Fudadin 57, Shepherd 53 and Reifer 50 scoring half-centuries.
Set 56 to win Jaguars made 56 without loss with Hetymer hitting a pugnacious unbeaten 44.
In the next round at the Kensington Oval in Barbados history was made when contrary to the playing conditions, the first ever rest day in a four-day in West Indies cricket was provided .
Barbados, on the back of an unbeaten 215 from Shai Hope and 143 from Kraigg Braithwaite amassed 480-3 declared as the game ended in a draw.
Back on home soil Jaguars registered an emphatic innings and 121-run win against the Windwards Volcanoes with a day and over two sessions remaining to take championships honours for the third consecutive time with a round still remaining.
Volcanoes were bowled out for 95 in their first innings as Paul took 6- 28 before Assad Fudadin’s 125 powered Jaguars to 379.Windwards in their second innings were all out for 162 as Motie took 4 for 46.
At Providence on SaturdayApril 22, 2017, the Jaguars were officially crowned champions despite them losing to the Leewards for the second time in the tournament by 10 wickets with a day to spare.
Jaguars were bowled out for 187 with 17-year-old Bhaskar Yadram making 25 on debut as Rakeem Cornwall grabbed 6-68. Hurricane then made 305 with Reifer taking 6-74. The inexperienced Guyana team were then dismissed for 143 in their second innings.
The 2017 season commenced on October 26 when Guyana beat Jamaica Scorpions by 263 runs at Providence as Bramble and Hemraj scored first innings fifties to help the hosts to 266.
Fudadin, now playing for the Scorpions, top scored with 39 as the visitors were bundled out for 99 as Permaul captured 6-29.
The Jaguars, with a lead of 165 did not enforce the follow-on and scored 315-8 declared in their second innings with Paul making 107.
Jamaica second innings, having been set a mammoth victory target of 483 runs to win, were dismissed for 219 with Permaul ending with match figures of 11-84.
At the Daren Sammy Stadium, in St. Lucia, Jaguars defeated the Volcanoes by seven wickets with a day to spare on the best track in the Region.
Volcanoes’ fell for 151 as with Rutherford taking 6-32 (his maiden five-wicket haul) before Jaguars made 357 all out as Singh (119) and Bramble (90), and Rutherford (52) registered 50’s.
Volcanoes’ then made 244 before Jaguars reached 41-3 with Rajendra Chandrika (7), Hemraj (8) and Johnson (4) falling cheaply.
Jaguars eventually secured a draw after being asked to follow-on by their nemesis Leewards Hurricanes at Warner Park in St Kitts. Leewards posted 412-9 declared and Jaguars replied with 206 all out. Singh made an unbeaten 97 and shared in a Guyana last wicket record stand with Joseph (15).
Jaguars following-on, requiring 206 to avoid an innings defeat, took the Hurricanes late into the final session of the game, ending on 305-7. Shiv Chanderpaul made 109 and got support from Bramble (57), Johnson (41) and Singh (35) to bat Guyana to safety.
Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago had faced each other in the first ever pink ball Day/Night First-Class match in Antigua in 2010 and from November 16-19 the teams once again clashed under lights at the Brian Lara Academy with Jaguars hammering the Red Force by an innings and 217 runs.
Jaguars declared on 484-8 with Johnson getting his highest First-Class score of 165, Singh got his second ton of the season; an even 100, while Tagenarine Chanderpaul made 84.
Red Force were bundled out for 120 in their first innings before making 175 following-on with Permaul taking 5-54 and match figures of 9-97, while Paul had 4-26.
Jaguars defeated Barbados by eight wickets after Barbados fell for 294 as Paul captured 5-59 and Joseph had 3-69.
Guyana responded with 314 with Hemraj getting 79, Motie 72 not out and Tagenarine Chanderpaul 52. Chanderpaul and Hemraj added 115 for the first wicket.
Barbados were dismissed for 197 as fast bowlers Joseph 4-38, Paul 4-63 and Rutherford (2-55) took all 10 wickets between them. Set 178 for victory, the Jaguars reached 181 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul making 62 not out and Johnson 61.
In their last match of the year Jaguars got sweet revenge on the Leewards with a crushing 10-wicket win at Providence. After another failure by the opening pair Jaguars recovered from 41-4 to reach 417.
Shiv Chanderpaul (51) and Bramble, unbeaten four short of joining Junior Murray as the only Keepers with a double century in Regional cricket. Bramble and Motie (47) broke the last wicket record set in St Kitts in the third round by adding 110 before Motie charged down to off-spinner Terrence Ward, missed a wild swipe and was stumped.
Leewards were bowled out for 145 as Permaul had 6-32. Following-on the Islanders reached 268 despite a ton from Akeem Saunders to leave Jaguars in an impregnable position heading into tomorrow’s game in Jamaica.
High marks must be given to Head Coach Esuan Crandon and Manager and Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith who worked tirelessly with the soon to be four-times defending Champions.

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