If Jamaica were harbouring any thoughts of rain saving them from defeat, those thoughts were quickly John Fernandes logoevaporated when Tamar Lambert’s men woke up to clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine yesterday as Guyana Jaguars roared proudly to an emphatic last day105-run victory at Sabina Park in the fifth round of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Four-Day First-Class Cricket Franchise.
Permaul top scored with 86* in the 1st innings and was the pick of the bowlers with 6 wickets in the match.
Jamaica began the final day on 105-6, needing another 235 for an improbable win and although the last pair of Odean Browne (45) and Jason Dawes (33) offered stout resistance with a Jamaica record 84-run last wicket partnership from 78 minutes, the hosts crashed to 234 all out just after Western Union logoLunch as Guyana achieved only their second win in the last decade against Jamaica to avenge their seven-wicket loss to the team from Reggie Country a year ago.
Bowling for the Jaguars Keon Joseph took 3-34, Ronsford Beaton 2-47 and Man-of-the-Match Veerasammy Permaul took 2-37 to take his tally in the tournament to 38 victims from five matches.
Scores: Guyana Jaguars (314 & 202), Jam (177 & 234).
The win extended the Jaguars’ lead by 18 to give them 75 points as they moved one step closer to their seventh Regional First-Class title and first since 1998. The win was also a first by Guyana against Jamaica since they won by 51 runs at Chedwin Park in 2006 with half-centuries from Sewnarine Chattergoon and Shiv Chanderpaul and a five-wicket haul from Reon King doing the damage.
Yesterday, with cotton wool-like clouds floating lazily over Sabina Park and a cool breeze blowing across the ground a handful of die-hard fans saw Bernard lean back and smashed Beaton for a bullet-like boundary past Permaul at backward point to bring up the 50 partnership in 90 balls as the Essequibian pacer bowled too short and too wide on a track with some bounce but which was still very good for batting and an exceedingly fast outfield.
Bernard thrice repeated the dose in the next over to same type of deliveries from Beaton, who had the last laugh when he trapped the right-hander LBW for 37 from 87 minutes with eight fours to break the 65-run stand and leave Jamaica on 137-7 as Guyana moved closer to their Shemron Hetymer (silly mid-off) takes evasive action as Odean Browne goes after Devendra Bishoo. Jason Dawes who shared a record last wicket stand with him, watch from the non strikers’ end.
Shemron Hetymer (silly mid-off) takes evasive action as Odean Browne goes after Devendra Bishoo. Jason Dawes who shared a record last wicket stand with him, watch from the non strikers’ end.
10th win in 65 matches against Jamaica.
Jacobs continued to fight fire with fire and gloriously drove Chris Barnwell past mid-off for four for Leon Johnson to turn to the tournament’s leading bowler Permaul.
Barnwell responded by getting one to jab back into Jacobs in his next over to trap the right-hander in front for 36 with six fours from 75 minutes and Jamaica were staring down the barrel of defeat at 141-8.
Mindley was not going down with a whimper and clobbered Permaul to the cover boundary before Devendra Bishoo replaced Barnwell from the Courtney Walsh end with Jamaica still a long way from the 191 more they required for what would have been one of the most sensational come-from-behind wins in cricket.
However, when Mindley (5) was bowled by Permaul it was 150-9 and it seemed that the contest would be done and dusted well before lunch. But that was wishful thinking by the Jaguars camp as Browne and Dawes were not afraid to take on the Jaguars’ bowlers and counted 11 boundaries between them which included three sixes by Lunch which was extended by 30 minutes on the request by the Jaguars since the last pair was at the crease.
By Lunch Jamaica had galloped to 231-9 to past their previous highest total for the season of 222 and reduced the victory target to 109. Browne was on 42 and Dawes on 32 and the frustrating partnership had steadily progressed to 77.
Immediately after the interval the new ball was taken after 80 overs and it took just 1.1 overs to separate the last pair when Dawes edged Joseph to the Keeper leaving Browne, who was also involved in the Jamaica 10th wicket record which he shared with Sheldon Cotterell against the Leewards when they put together 109 in 2013, unbeaten five short of his third First-Class fifty.
The Guyana Jaguars leaves here today for Antigua where they will oppose the Leewards in their next match.
(Taken from Kaieteur News; by Sean Devers)