A century opening stand between Chandrapaul Hemraj and Tagenarine Chanderpaul gave current leaders and reigning three-time champions Guyana Jaguars a strong start to their reply, but a cluster of wickets in the final session helped Barbados Pride fight back in their key contest in the Digicel 4-Day Championship on Friday.
Hemraj and Chanderpaul, son of former Windies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, hit half-centuries, but were among the wickets that the Jaguars lost late on the rain-hit second day of their fifth-round match at the Guyana National Stadium, that brought life back to the Pride’s challenge.
Hemraj struck nine fours and four sixes from in 79 from 117 balls (9x4s, 4x6s) and the younger Chanderpaul made 52 that included just four boundaries from 152 balls.
The Jaguars opening pair shared 117 for the first wicket, but the Pride snared them either side of tea among a cluster of wickets to leave things hanging in the balance when stumps were drawn with the elder Chanderpaul not out on 15 and night-watchman Gudakesh Motie not out on three.
This followed a start that was delayed until after the scheduled lunch interval, due to wet conditions caused by rain, and a swift conclusion to the Pride’s first innings.
First-day Pride batting hero Justin Greaves failed to add to his overnight 72 and there was no resistance from the tail of the visitors’ batting.
Keemo Paul, the former West Indies Under-19 World Cup-winning all-rounder, grabbed the last three Pride wickets – including Greaves – and ended with 5-59 from 16.3 overs to be the most successful Jaguars bowler. West Indies ‘A’ Team fast bowler Keon Joseph finished with 3-69 from 20 overs.
Hurricanes (207) & 60-0 vs Red Force (360) in Basseterre, St. Kitts
An unbroken, 60-run opening stand between former Kent batsman Chesney Hughes and Windies ‘A’ opener Montcin Hodge also got the Leeward Islands Hurricanes off to a strong start in their second innings, after three Trinidad & Tobago Red Force batsman came close, but failed to reach hundreds in giving their side a big first-innings lead at Warner Park.
Hughes was not out on 29 and Hodge was not out on 26, as they battled through 24 overs in almost 1 ½ hours of batting to defy the Red Force bowlers before stumps were drawn.
This followed three Red Force batsmen perishing before reaching the landmark of a hundred to help give the visitors a 153-run, first-innings lead.
Former Windies Under-19 left-hander Amir Jangoo led the way with 96; uncapped, veteran leg-spin all-rounder Imran Khan was not out on 84 and Windies batsman Kyle Hope made 84.
Jangoo hit 10 fours and six sixes from 136 balls in close to 2 ¾ hours, and Hope collected 11 fours from 148 balls close to three hours. They shared 187 for the first wicket before the Red Force went into a tailspin, slumping to 235-7.
But Khan led the recovery, hitting seven fours and two sixes from 142 balls in close to three hours and shared 79 with Khary Pierre to push them comfortably past 300.
Volcanoes (200) vs Scorpions 261-8 in Kingston, Jamaica
A destructive spell from Shane Shillingford helped put the brakes on the Jamaica Scorpions following half-centuries from Windies ‘A’ Team opener John Campbell and uncapped Fabien Allen against Windward Islands Volcanoes at Sabina Park.
Test off-spinner Shillingford grabbed 5-72 from 33 overs and was the most effective Volcanoes bowler, as the Scorpions batted through the day to earn a hard-fought lead.
Campbell struck seven fours and three sixes in the top score so far of 71 from 79 balls to give the Scorpions early momentum, dominating an opening stand of 96 with fellow left-hander Trevon Griffith.
After Campbell was caught behind off leg-spinner Audy Alexander in the final hour before lunch, there was limited stability from the rest of the Scorpions’ batting until their skipper Nikita Miller, batting at 10, linked up with Allen to share 52 – unbroken – for the ninth wicket.
A few other batsmen got starts without carrying on, led by Trevon Griffith with 37 and Brandon King with 35, but every time it looked a pair of Scorpions batsmen were building a partnership, one of them would throw their hand away.
Scorpions slumped to 209 for eight before Allen, not out on 57 that included seven fours from 113 balls, and Miller batted through practically the final session to extend the home team’s innings.