Guyana Jaguars in control on day one of PCL

HALF-centuries from Anthony Bramble and Chanderpaul Hemraj along with a composed 45 from Sherfane Rutherford put the Guyana Jaguars in a promising position at the end of day one of their first round Professional Cricket League (PCL) four-day game against the Jamaica Scorpions.
When play ended yesterday at the National Stadium, Providence, the new-look Guyana Jaguars line-up recovered well to close on 258-8.
From a position of 150-6, Bramble (62) and Rutherford put the Jaguars in complete command by the end of the day with a seventh-wicket stand of 83 runs. Hemraj had earlier made an unruffled 60.

When play began the Scorpions captain Paul Palmer won the toss and elected to field under overcast skies, a decision which saw both openers, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Rajendra Chandrika struggled initially after they chose to adopt a cautious start.

However, the left-handed Chanderpaul got the innings going in the fifth over with the first boundary when he whipped pacer, Derval Green, through square leg. On the other hand, the right-handed Chandrika gradually grew in confidence, and cut Jason Dawes for his first boundary, before dispatching Green for three sweetly-timed boundaries.

But the overcast conditions would have encouraged Palmer to continue with pace at one end, which eventually created the breakthrough when Green (2-60), had Chandrika caught behind in the 17th over after spending 71 minutes at the crease.

Chanderpaul Hemraj joined his Everest Cricket Club teammate, and began fluently, but after batting 105 minutes and facing 78 balls, the young Chanderpaul was taken at first slip off left-arm wrist spinner Dennis Bulli (2-52), two overs before lunch.

Guyana reached the interval at 65-2, with Hemraj on 22 and Johnson on two. With a new-look Jaguars’ line-up, there was extra responsibility on the pair.
They responded to the task somewhat, putting together 45 runs for the third-wicket and in the process played some elegant strokes before Johnson’s 44-ball innings was undone by a straight ball from off-spinner Damani Sewell, who was the most successful bowler with 3-69.

Bhaskar Yadram then departed, bowled by Bulli without scoring, at 101-4. Thereafter, Anthony Bramble teamed up with Hemraj, and the duo settled down into cruise mode, rotating the strike and picking up the odd boundary before the left-handed Hemraj, who had earlier hit six fours and a six off Bulli, brought up his second fifty at this level in 126 minutes, facing 89 balls.

However, Sewell claimed the wicket of Hemraj after Garth Garvey held on to a wonderful catch at silly mid-off. His innings lasted for 101 balls, 179 minutes, inclusive of seven fours and a six.

Keemo Paul accompanied Bramble, and signaled his intention straight away, hitting Sewell’s first-ball for six, but seven balls later he edged Green to wicket-keeper Romaine Morrison, at 150-6.

Notwithstanding the mid-innings wobble, the three-times defending champions remain firmly in control with Bramble and Sherfane Rutherford at the crease.

Bramble started the final session in aggressive mood, hitting three stylish boundaries off Green in the first over after the interval.

However, the duo interspersed moments of rare aggression with periods of watchful defence, and during that period, Bramble registered his sixth fifty off 95 balls before Dawes (1-32), broke the partnership when he removed Bramble, who faced 122 balls in 165 minutes at the crease.

At that point, Rutherford continued to build his innings, but was bowled by Sewell just before the close. His innings spanned 150 minutes, 105 balls with six fours.

Romario Shepherd, who survived a chance on the final delivery off Sewell, along with Veerasammy Permaul, will resume today. The Jaguars omitted Akshaya Persaud and Anthony Adams from their 13-man squad. Play resumes today at 09:30hrs.

first published in guyana chronicle