PCL Regional First-Class cricket Hemraj hit maiden century as Jaguars reach 319-5

Jan 05, 2019 Sports

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By Sean Devers
A brilliant maiden century from Chanderpaul Hemraj and an unfinished 105-run sixth wicket stand between Anthony Bramble and Raymon Reifer put four-times defending Champions Guyana Jaguars in the ascendancy against Barbados Pride when the opening day of their third round PCL Regional First-Class contest ended yesterday at the Kensington Oval.
Hemraj, a 25-year-old from the Village of Strathavon in Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara, in his 20th game at this level, joined an elite few Guyanese batsmen to score at century at the Mecca when he made a delightful 144 decorated with 20 fours and four sixes from 172 balls, 241 minutes.

The Everest left-hander, who made his First-Class debut against Trinidad as an 18-year-old in 2012, shared in a responsible 134-run opening stand with Tagenarine Chanderpaul who contributed a carefully constructed 37 from 150 balls with six boundaries in 181 minutes.
Bramble hammered 51 from just 53 balls in 85 minutes with 10 fours and a six, while Bajan Reifer has 53 from 76 balls, 103 minutes with nine fours in a stand already worth 105 runs as Jaguars reached 319-5 when bails were lifted.
Off-spinner Ashley Nurse took 2-77 for the Bajans who captured four wickets for 15 runs to trigger a middle order collapse as the Jaguars slumped from 199-1 to 214-5 before Bramble and Reifer joined forces in ‘operation rebuild’.
Windies pacer Kemar Roach and Miguel Cummins kept the Jaguars openers on a tight leash on a track with a tinge of green in sunny conditions after the host had won the toss.
Chanderpaul struggled to rotate the strike and played the supporting role to Hemraj who was also not allowed the score freely against the new ball.
Chanderpaul flicked Off-Spinner Ashley Nurse for four before Hemraj sweetly stroked Cummins, in his second spell, past cover for four.

Hemraj, dropped at second slip on 33 off the unlucky Cummins in the 21st over, made the Bajans pay for their lapse with an array of audacious shots after the floored chance had brought up the 50.
Hemraj hit Nurse over cover for four and before pulling Cummins past mid-on for four to move into the 40s.
Both openers batted responsible and took few chances but Hemraj, in his first match since returning for Windies ODI duties, capitalised on the bad balls and smashed Cummins for another four.
While Chanderpaul was intent to block the spinners and leave balls that he did not have to play from the pacers, Hemraj reached his seventh fifty with a cut behind point for four when Jomal Warrican bowled short.
Hemraj, with six ODIs to his name, celebrated the fifty with a spanking four and the first six of the match in an expensive over from Warrican.

By Lunch the Jaguars had built a firm foundation with Hemraj on 62 from 92 balls and Chanderpaul on 18 from 91 balls with their team on 83-0 off 30 overs.
After the interval Chanderpaul executed some nice shots but they went straight to the fielders as the son of the illustrious Dr Shivnarine Chanderpaul was kept in shackles. Young Chanderpaul lacks the temperament of his father to bat long and still score hundreds and got himself bugged down.
The 22-year-old Chanderpaul, who made his debut in 2013 against the Leewards, showed rare aggression when he caressed Roach past mid-off for four to post the 100 in the 37th over.
Hemraj pulled Cummins for four in overcast conditions and soon bettered his highest First-Class score of 90 before Chanderpaul hit Warrican to Jason Holder to give the left arm spinner his 13th wicket for the season at 134-1.
Hemraj hit Holder for a boundary before reaching his maiden ton from 144 balls with 17 fours and a six when he stroked Roston Chase for two and celebrated with by clobbering the off-spinner for six.
Skipper Leon Johnson (14) did not last long and was caught and bowled at 199-2 on the stroke of Tea by Holder, back in cricket after missing the Bangladesh tour due to injury.
Hemraj joined Fredericks, Kallicharran, Lloyd, Hooper, Sarwan, Deonarine and Andrew Lyght (the only one not play Test Cricket) as Guyanese wit

h hundreds at Kensington Oval.
But when four short of 150, Hemraj was bowled by Nurse to leave the Jaguars on 201-3 before Chris Barnwell (5) was run out as the Jaguars slipped to 212-4 and when Guyana’s leading run scorer Vishaul Singh was LBW to Nurse after struggling for 33 balls for nine, the visitors were 214-5 as the Bajans fought back in the final session.
However, home boy Raymon Reifer was joined by Anthony Bramble and the small crowd watched as they revived the position with their entertaining sixth wicket stand as they disdainfully counter-attacked the bowlers.
The Jaguars have won three of the eight matches between the two sides since 2015, including two in the Pride’s backyard and have not suffered a loss in their last 12 games.
Scores: At Kensington Oval: Jaguars batted all day.
GUYANA JAGUARS 319 for five (Chandrapaul Hemraj 144, Raymon Reifer 53 not out, Anthony Bramble 51 not, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 37; Ashley Nurse 2-77) vs BARBADOS PRIDE.
Meanwhile, over at the Brian Lara Stadium: Hurricanes batted all day against Trinidad to reach 291-6 with Montcin Hodge 112 not out and Rahkeem Cornwall 65 leading their charge.
Scores: LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES 291 for six (Montcin Hodge 112 not out, Rahkeem Cornwall 65, Akeem Saunders 41; Shannon Gabriel 3-42, Imran Khan 2-99) vs TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RED FORCE.

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