The Guyana Jaguars have won five of the six matches they have played against the T&T Red Force in PCL cricket and when the penultimate day of their fourth round CWI Digicel Championship day/night encounter ended last night, Saturday 18th, 2017 at the Brian Lara Academy, they were in a commanding position to improve that record and extend their lead.
Set 364 to avoid an innings defeat, Red Force were 106-6 following-on when play ended yesterday with Imran Khan (20) and Daniel St Clair (26) at the crease enjoying an unfinished 44-run stand with their team still 259 short of making the Jaguars bat again.
The hosts collapsed from 66 without loss in their first innings to be bowled out for 120 as 16 Red Force wickets tumbled in a day which saw deplorable batting at this level.
Left-arm spinners Veerasammy Persaud (4-43) and Gudakesh Motie (4-46) were the architects of destruction after pacer Keon Joseph (2-12) got the first two wickets. Keeper Anthony Bramble supported with four catches. Twenty-year-old Amir Jangoo (39) and Bajan Kyle Hope (25) gave their team a useful start but only Bajan Roshan Primus reached double figures on the same track that the Jaguars made 484-8 declared.
Red Force began their second innings badly when the 28-year-old Hope, whose average of 11.2 from five Tests does not inspire hope, was removed by Permaul for five at 5-1.
Jangoo played some nice shots and hit Permaul over his dead for six before Yannic Cariah (14) edged Kemo Paul to Bramble at 39-2. The 19-year-old Paul removed Jangoo (19) at 47-3 before Jason Mohammed and 21-year-old Tion Webster saw Red Force to Dinner on 48-3, still trailing by 315 runs.
After the interval, Paul removed Webster (6) and Primus (0) off consecutive balls with the score on 56 before Mohammed (8) was LBW to Permaul and at 62-6 it looked as if the game would have been completed on the third day. However, Khan, who began as a batsman and has 10 fifties and a century at this level, was joined by St Clair and the two played sensibly to see their team to the close. Paul has so far taken 4-17.
Earlier, on another steaming hot day a small gathering saw the hosts resume on 51 without loss. Jangoo took his overnight 32 to 39 before was taken at point driving loosely at Joseph to leave the score on 66-1 in the 25th over to trigger a collapse. The 24-year-old Joseph, who worked up good pace on a flat track, soon induced Cariah (0) to edge a catch to Bramble without addition to score before Permaul removed Mohammed (1) a run later, before getting rid of Webster (4) who recklessly hit the ball ‘miles’ into air to be caught and bowled at 73-4.
Hope swept Permaul for four but struggled for 114 balls for his 25 before he was caught behind off Motie and at 83-5 and still 401 behind, Red Force were in dire straits and seemed a spent force.
Primus, swept Permaul behind square and dumped him over long-off for boundaries and was joined by Skipper Denesh Ramdin, who along with Devon Smith and Vishaul Singh, has two centuries this season.
The pair saw the hundred posted in the 48th over and the 32-year-old Ramdin, with 14 First-Class hundreds to his name, four of them at Test level and the powerfully build Primus staged a mini recovery with Primus lofting Permaul for four.
By the interval, they had added 23 to take their team 106-5 with Primus on 29 and Ramdin, nursing a hamstring injury, on three and 229 were still needed to avoid the follow-on.
After the break Ramdin (3) was removed at 107-6 by Motie, who got rid of Primus, who hit four fours and a six; caught behind by the efficient Bramble a run later.
Khan (3) was bowled by Permaul at 112-8, while Motie removed Daniel St Clair (5) at 116-9 before Permaul ended the innings when Bramble held his fourth catch to remove Bryan Charles for five.
Scores: JAGUARS 484 for eight declared (Leon Johnson 165, Vishaul Singh 100, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 84, Keemo Paul 32, Veerasammy Permaul 31 not out, Chanderpaul Hemraj 22; Bryan Charles 5-134).
RED FORCE 120 (Amir Jangoo 39, Roshon Primus 30, Kyle Hope 25; Veerasammy Permaul 4-43, Gudakesh Motie 4-46) and 106 for six (Daniel St Clair 26 not out; Keemo Paul 4-17, Veersammy Permaul 2-31).
(Source: www.kaieteurnewsonline.com)