On a truncated second day of the fifth round of the Guyana Cricket Inc Digicel Regional Four-Day Championship, seven wickets fell in two sessions yesterday at Providence and it seemed that Chanderpaul Hemraj batted on a different pitch from the one the other batsmen were playing on.
After the entire first session yesterday was washed out due to overnight and morning rain, 19-year-old pacer Kemo Paul wrapped up the tail to capture the last five wickets to finish with (5-59) his second five-wicket as Barbados Pride, overnight on 282-7, fell for 294.
Justin Greaves failed to add to his overnight 72 as pacer Keon Joseph, who removed the first three batsmen on Thursday, finished with 3-63 for the Guyana Jaguars who reached 180-4 when played ended at 17:30hrs under floodlights.
While the 24-year-old Hemraj, one of seven left-handers in the side, was aggressive from the start during his entertaining 79 from 117 balls with nine fours and four sixes, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, in total contrast, struggled to get the ball away on the slow track and badly maintained outfield and used up 119 dot balls in his pedestrian paced 52 from 152 balls with four boundaries.
But of importance to the Jaguars, for a team which was winning but lacked a solid opening stand, the 115 runs between Hemraj and Chanderpaul fixed the one chink in the batting armour in sultry conditions.
While Chanderpaul’s main objective seemed on not getting dismissed, Hemraj was in his usual aggressive mode clipping Greaves over mid-wicket for six and posted the Jaguars’ second half-century opening partnership for the season when he dumped off-spinner Ashley Nurse back over his head for four.
Chanderpaul was the silent partner and had problems rotating the strike and picking up singles, while his Everest team mate counter-attacked the bowling with several disdainful shots.
Hemraj, dropped twice off Greaves by the Keeper early in his innings, pounced on Nurse like a cat upon a mouse; dispatching him for three fours in a an expensive over as he galloped to his fourth fifty and third for the season, while Chanderpaul scored his first boundary off his 45th delivery to move into double figures.
Hemraj used his feet and smashed left-arm spinner Jomal Warrican for a couple of sixes to the delight of the largest turnout for the game and the 25 fans in the sun faded ‘Red Stand’ showed their approval.
By Tea, the Jaguars were 90 without loss with Hemraj on 73 from 82 balls, while Chanderpaul was 16 from 69 balls.
After the break, Chanderpaul looked a bit more positive and batted with more intent and made a consorted effort to find the gaps as the pair took advantage off some lose bowling from Nurse who bowled too short and wide.
Hemraj was run out by a direct hit by Greaves from point when Chanderpaul played a cut and called for what seemed an easy single with the score on 115-1.
The arrival of Leon Johnson put the brakes on the hectic scoring and with Hemraj out of the way and weak Bajan bowling attack operated with control. Johnson, with two fifties and a century in the tournament was bowled by Jonathon Carter for one at 120-2.
Vishaul Singh, the tournament’s leading run scorer with two tons and an unbeaten 97 in St Kitts, flicked Greaves for four but in trying to repeat the shot was well take down the leg-side by Mario Rampersaud after making 15 at 143-3.
The 43-year-old Shiv Chanderpaul, one of four centurions in the side, joined his 21-year-old son and began in positive fashion, favoring the cut but Tagenarine Chanderpaul was soon caught behind just before the close at 173-4 to bring night watchman Gudakesh Motie to the crease.
Motie and Shiv Chanderpaul (15) remained to the close with the Jaguars still 114 away from the Barbados total.
(Source:www.kaieteurnewsonline.com)