Guyana Jaguars maintained their lead after two rounds of the CWI Digicel Regional four-day Championship when defeated the Windwards Volcanoes on Saturday 4th November, 2017 by seven wickets with a day to spare at the Daren Sammy Stadium.
Kirk Edwards struck four boundaries in a 79-ball 54, Kaveem Hodge made 44, but only Shane Shillingford, who was last out for 36 with two fours and a couple off sixes of the other batsmen offered fight as Volcanoes fell for 244.
Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul captured four wickets to take his tally to 15 from two matches, while Keon Joseph (3) and Man-of-the-Match Sherfane Rutherford, who followed up his 6-32 and even half-century with two more scalps, bowled well for the Jaguars, who laboured to 41-3 in the dying stages of the day.
Set 41 for what seemed an easy win, the Jaguars top order again made the small target seem as hard as climbing mount Roraima carry two men on your shoulders.
The badly out of sorts Rajendra Chandrika (7) got himself into an awful tangle and top-edged a quick short ball from left-arm pacer Obed McCoy to leave the Jaguars on 9-1 before Chanderpaul Hemraj (8) was caught behind off a lively Ray Gordon, who also dismissed Skipper Leon Johnson (4) five runs later to leave the Jaguars in a mess at 30-3.
The level-headed Vishaul Singh joined Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who batted much better than he did in the first innings when threw his wicket away with an out of character pull to a ball he would usually not play at, to see Guyana home.
Earlier, Volcanoes began the penultimate day in overcast conditions on 54-1 with their most prolific batsman Devon Smith who fell to Joseph for a duck, the wicket to fall.
Skipper Tyrone Theophile added two to his overnight 37 before he was dropped at slip then edging the next to ball to Chandrika at second slip off Joseph as the hosts lost an early wicket at 58-2.
First innings top scorer Hodge and Edwards joined forces on a still lively third-day track on which the odd ball kept low and added 58 between them before Edwards was also taken by Chandrika at second slip just after reaching his 30th First-Class fifty to leave the score on 116-3.
Teenager Roland Cato (19) was looking organised until he edged Rutherford to Johnson at first slip four runs later then Hodge and Gain Benjamin tried to repair the damage with a 43-run fifth wicket stand, but once Benjamin (17) was taken at short-leg by Singh pushing at one that bounced from Permaul at 163-5 it was always on the cards for a three-day finish.
Shillingford got going with a six off Permaul and played in positive fashion and along with Jordon (11) put together 24 for the ninth wicket but when Jordon was removed by the 19-year-old Rutherford at 236-8 and Sherman Lewis (1) was trapped LBW to Permaul one run later Shillingford threw his bat at everything before he edged Permaul to give Bramble, who made 90 in the Jaguars first innings, his fifth catch of the match.
Guyana travels to St Kitts tomorrow to face second placed Leewards Volcanoes from Thursday from 10:00hrs in the match of the third round.
Scores: VOLCANOES 151 (Kavem Hodge 48, Gian Benjamin 24, Kirk Edwards 24; Sherfane Rutherford 6-32, Keemo Paul 2-28) and 244 (Kirk Edwards 54, Kavem Hodge 44, Tyrone Theophile 37, Shane Shillingford 36; Veerasammy Permaul 4-53, Keon Joseph 3-53, Sherfane Rutherford 2-50).
JAGUARS 357 (Vishaul Singh 119, Anthony Bramble 90, Chanderpaul Hemraj 50; Obed McCoy 3-56, Tyrone Theophile 2-48) and 41 for three (Ray Jordan 2-23).
(Source: www.kaieteurnewsonline.com)