A century partnership between Keacy Carty and Montcin Hodge and half centuries from Jamal Hamilton and Terrence Warde and six late afternoon wickets put the Leeward Hurricanes in a commanding position at the end of the second day of their CWI Digicel Regional Four-Day Championship encounter against defending champions Guyana Jaguars at Warner Park on Friday 10th November, 2017.
A laborious 165-run second wicket stand between Carty and Hodge saw the Hurricanes to 223-1 but with Carty’s demise Hurricanes lost three wickets for one run before Hurricanes recovered to declare at 412-9.
Carty’s painstaking 82 took 231 balls, 295 minutes and included five fours and a six while Hodge, who struggled to rotate the strike and pick up singles, faced 231 balls, batted for 295 minutes for his 91 which included five fours and a six.
Hamilton contributed 56 from 99 balls, 160 minutes with five fours and a six and featured in 69-run partnership with Warde who made 52 from 125 balls, 142 minutes aided by four fours and a six.
Skipper Rakeem Cornwall chipped in with a 23-ball 28 with two fours and two sixes while Chesney Hughes fell for 31 on Thursday.
Sherfane Rutherford (3-93), Romario Shepherd (2-64), Kemo Paul (1-48) ensured that six of nine wickets to fall fell to pacers while Veerasammy Permaul had 2-104 and Chanderpaul Hemraj took the other for the Jaguars who were on the ropes on 53-6 by the close still 359 runs away from the Hurricanes total.
The Jaguars were again off to a horrendous start losing Tagenarine Chanderpaul (3), Skipper Leon Johnson (2), Hemraj (23), night watchman Veerasammy (0), Shiv Chanderpaul (0) and Anthony Bramble (0) as they were badly wounded and left hanging on for dear life at 53-6.Vishaul Singh, dropped at second slip off debutant Stanley Simon, saw his team to the close with the lights in full effect after Bramble hit a catch to mid-off from the day’s final ball.
Jeremiah Louis has so far picked up 2-18.
Earlier, Jaguars took the second new ball at the start of play with Hurricanes on 181-1 and continued to keep the batsmen on a tight leash with Hodge (72) and Carty (61) at the crease.
On another day blessed with glorious sunshine the pair batted cautiously before Hodge broke the shackles by disdainfully hooking a short ball from Keon Joseph for six.
The 200 was posted in the 100th over to give the hurricanes their only batting point as the pedestrian paced scoring continued. Carty nicked one from Rutherford to Keeper Bramble to end the partnership which took 295 minutes and was as exciting as watching paint dry.
Paul, who saw Shiv Chanderpaul at slip put down two catches off his bowling, soon sent Hodge’s leg-stump cart wheeling without addition to the score before Rutherford struck again by having Nkrumah Bonner taken at mid-on for a duck off a mistimed pull.
And at 224-4, Hurricanes had lost three for one run and the Jaguars were in control under overcast skies. Devon Thomas eased the pressure by hitting Rutherford on top of the commentary box but he was soon taken at cover playing a lose drive at Shepherd just before Lunch with the score on 246-5.
At Lunch the Hurricanes had slumped from 223-1 to 250-5 with Hamilton and skipper Rakeem Cornwall at the crease.
After the interval, the burly Cornwall greeted Shepherd with a six over his head off the first ball of the session before clobbering Rutherford over mid-wicket for another six.
Cornwall was dropped by a diving Johnson at slip off Rutherford on 24 but missed a mighty swing next ball and was bowled at 297-6. Warde joined Hamilton and cover drove Rutherford for four before using his feet to Permaul and hitting him agonisingly close to a leaping Shepherd at mid-on.
Hamilton reached his 50 from 89 balls, 147 minutes with four fours and a six while the 50 partnership between him and Warde was posted from 101 balls and 78 minutes and by Tea, with rain threatening, the home team was 356-6 with Hamilton on 51, Warde on 28 and the seventh wicket already worth 59 runs.
After the break Hamilton was removed by left-arm spinner Hemraj at 366-7 while Louis (6) edged a cut to Permaul to give him his first wicket with the score on 381-8. Just after reaching his maiden fifty Warde was stumped off Permaul at which time the declaration was made leaving Marvin Matthew unbeaten on 21.
(Source: www.kaieteurnewsonline.com)