Mathematically, Jaguars still not home But favoured to win today’s Day/Nighter against Red Force

Mar 07, 2019 Sports

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By Sean Devers

It is said that when night falls the stars come out to shine and today at Providence, four-times defending Champions Guyana Jaguars face-off with Trinidad Red Force under lights in a Day/Night contest which starts at 14:00hrs and which will be played with a Pink ball.
In January 2010 in Antigua, the inaugural Pink ball Regional First-Class match was first played under lights.
These two teams competed in that historic game and after Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin scored centuries for T&T, Narsingh Deonarine responded with an unbeaten 104 as the match ended in a draw.
The Pink ball and the dew on a pitch which has some grass should provide assistance for the pacers especially during the final session of the day.

A team can earn a maximum 22 points from a match and Jaguars (136) lead as they head into their final match of this season’s Regional First-Class Championships against a team with no chance of winning the title but who could spoil the Jaguars’ party.
When asked what he wanted to take away from this game, Red Force Coach, 44-year-old former West Indies pacer Mervin Dillon, replied “My aim is to beat Guyana!”
Only Leewards, on 110.8 points, with two games to play, can deny Jaguars a record equalling fifth consecutive title which will take them level with Jamaica, who achieved the feat from 2008-2012.
The Leewards face Windwards and Barbados in Antigua and if they win both games and the Jaguars lose to Red Force and get three points for dismissing Red Force, a point for reaching 200 and two for their pacers taking 10 wickets, they will only reach 142 points.
If the Leewards get 17 points from each of their last two games they will end on 144.8 points and dethrone the Jaguars.
That’s conjecture, but what is a fact is its imperative for the Jaguars to win this game to be assured of the title.
The Jaguars have had their worst season in the five-year history of the PCL; losing three matches, including against Red Force in Trinidad.
That match ended in three days with a 93-run win for the Trinis although Guyana’s four prong pace attack (Romario Shepherd, Raymon Reifer, Keemo Paul and Clinton Pestano) accounted for all 10 wickets.

Jaguars responded with 150 with Paul, unbeaten on 66, being the only batsman to reach 25 as Imran Khan took 3-22.
Batting a second time, T&T made 317 with Jason Mohammed getting 83 and Jeremy Solozano, Khan and Joshua DaSilva each making 40s. Paul and Reifer had four wickets each.
Jaguars were then bowled out for 182 despite 50 from Shepherd as Khan had three more wickets. Both Paul and Pestano are now unavailable due to injury.
Both teams are coming off victories in their last matches with Jaguars beating Barbados and T&T defeating Windwards.
Red Force Manager David Furlonge said he wants his team to keep improving and play consistent cricket.
“We will depend on our senior players and the pitch has some grass which should favour our pacer Odean Smith, Anderson Phillip and Daniel St Class. Our spinners, Imran Khan, Bryan Charles and Khary Pierre, have done well in recent matches, while Tion Webster back to full fitness and we are a happy dressing room,” Furlonge said.
Jaguars have two of top three highest totals (548 v B’dos & 445 v Hurricanes), but those totals were made during their first four wins before their 15-match unbeaten streak ended in the fifth round and coincided with the departure of Head Coach Esuan Crandon for Windies duties.

In their last 10 innings, the Jaguars have only reached 200 on three occasions and suffered three defeats during this period as their top order badly let them down.
Anthony Bramble (498) is Guyana’s leading scorer and tournament’s leading Keeper with 37 dismissals, while the Berbician is one of three batsmen, including ‘Regional Bully’ Devon Smith, with two tons.
However, the burly Bramble has gone off the boil in his last few games, while Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul is the other Jaguars batsman with 450 runs (491 with a ton & 50) from 18 innings, but has reached 40 just once in his last 10 innings and continues to struggle to find the gaps.
Chanderpaul Hemraj also has a century and a fifty in his 346 runs from five games but has given away his wicket when well set, while Vishaul Singh (344 from 7 matches with 3 fifties) will also need to get a big score.

Sherfane Rutherford has struggled and has just managed 121 runs from six innings including a half-century, while Johnson (404 runs from 18 innings) has only scored three fifties this season with two of them coming in the same game and has struggled for runs against relatively weak bowling attacks.
The 31-year-old Johnson and rest of the top order will have to demonstrate positive batting if the Jaguars hope to reach 400 runs in 110 overs in their first innings to gain the maximum five batting points.
Romario Shepherd (2 fifties & 29 Wkts), Raymon Reifer (2 fifties and 23 Wkts from 5 games), Chris Barnwell (2 fifties & 6 Wkts) and Rutherford will hope to give Guyana fast bowling points, while Veerasammy Permaul (39 Wkts) should continue to be among the wickets, especially in the second innings.
Red Force will hope Solozano (488 runs with a ton & a fifty) and rookie DaSilva (2 fifties from 6 matches) give them a solid foundation, while support could come from Jason Mohammed, Tion Webster, Yannick Cariah, Imran Khan and Khary Pierre, who made his maiden century in the last round. Skipper Denesh Ramdin was expected to join the team last evening.

 

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