Guyana Jaguars Start With A Win, Other Matches End In Draw

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Another destructive spell from Veerasammy Permaul propelled three-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars to the only victory in the Digicel 4-Day Championship on Sunday.

Veerasammy-Permaul had match figures of 10-84 in Guyana Jaguars win.

Permaul grabbed 4-55 from 34.5 overs, ending with match figures of 10-84, making him a shoo-in for the Player-of-the-Match award, as the Jaguars beat Jamaica Scorpions by 263 runs at the Guyana National Stadium.

None of the other teams in the Championship were so fortunate, as their matches all ended in draws.

In Providence, Guyana: The Jaguars had to wait until the final session to formalize the result, as the Scorpions were bowled out for 219 in their second innings.

Starting the day on 61 for two, chasing a highly improbable target of 483, the Scorpions fought hard to stave off the inevitable, but were unable to defy Permaul long enough to achieve a stalemate.

Romaine Morrison top-scored with 68, Guyana-born left-hander Assad Fudadin made 40, Brandon King added 35 and Dennis Bulli got 32.

Scorpions started the day well with King and Fudadin extending their third wicket stand to 73 before being separated.

They ran into trouble at 115 for six however, provided a rearguard, posting 85 for the seventh wicket before the last four wickets fell for 19.

In St. George’s, Grenada: Devon Smith collected his 30th first-class career hundred, but the Windward Islands Volcanoes’ had to settle for a draw over Leeward Islands Hurricanes in a tense finish.

The 36-year-old Smith, the most prolific batsman in the history of the West Indies first-class competition, was undefeated on 185 that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award and carried the Volcanoes to 331 for three declared in their second innings.

Left-handed opener Smith collected 14 fours and three sixes from 235 balls in close to six hours and shared century stands with Kirk Edwards for the second wicket and Kavem Hodge for the fourth wicket before the declaration came.

Edwards, the Barbados-born, former Windies vice-captain, made 64 and Hodge, a former West Indies Under-19 batsman, was unbeaten on a run-a-ball 56.

Chasing 222 for victory, the Hurricanes stumbled against the spin bowling trio of Shane Shillingford, Liam Sebastien and Audy Alexander and finished on 112 for six.

Devon Smith of Windward Islands Volcanoes struck his 30th first-class career hundred. WICB Media Photo/Nicholas Reid

The three Volcanoes spinners collected two wickets apiece, but Keacy Carty, the Player-of-the-Match in the Windies Under-19 victory in the Final of the 2016 ICC Youth World Cup, led the defiance for the Hurricanes with 48.

In Bridgetown, Barbados: An 87-run stand for the fourth wicket between first-class newcomer Aaron Jones and West Indies One-day batsman Jonathan Carter helped Barbados Pride to a hard-fought draw with arch-rivals Trinidad & Tobago Red Force.

Jones was unbeaten on 52 and Carter made 46, as the Pride, set 248 for victory in a minimum of 30 overs, finished on 117 for four in their second innings.

Half-centuries from left-handed opener Amir Jangoo, Ewart Nicholson and captain Denesh Ramdin prompted Red Force to declare their second innings on 257 for five about 10 minutes before the scheduled second break.

Jangoo, a former West Indies Under-19 batsman, led the way with 63, Nicholson hit 55, his second half-century of the match, and Ramdin followed up his first innings hundred with 56 not out to earn the Player-of-the-Match award on his return to the Regional 4-Day scene for the first time in three years.