Defending champions Guyana Jaguars finished day one of the 2018/2019 Cricket West Indies’ Professional Cricket League Regional Four-day championship against Windward Islands Volcanoes in control at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St. Lucia.
After recovering from a dreadful start to post 223 in the day/night, pink ball encounter, Jaguars plucked out two wickets to leave Volcanoes on 32-2 and trailing by 191 runs.
Jaguars’ day was made set up by solid contribution from vice-captain Vishaul Singh, emerging all-rounder Romario Shepherd and fast bowler Clinton Pestano.
Singh and Shepherd lifted Jaguars out of a deep hole at 101-6, adding 95 for the seventh wicket before both were dismissed with a run of each other.
Singh, the dogged left-hander, anchored the innings with a fighting 74, which spanned 150 balls, 105 of which were dots.
Shepherd played the perfect foil to the seasoned campaigner, stroking three fours and a six in 47 off 89 balls. Had it not been for their partnership, the day could have been much different for Jaguars.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul (2), Trevon Griffith (14), Leon Johnson (14), debutant Tevin Imlach (8), Christopher Barnwell (18) and Anthony Bramble (8) were all dismissed cheaply. Veerasammy Permaul’s 21 not out supported Singh and Shepherd’s fight towards the end of the innings.
Veteran off-spinner Shane Shillingford picked up 4-61 and Delorn Johnson 2-34.
Pestano then removed Tyrone Theophile and former Test batsman Kirk Edwards cheaply to lead Volcanoes shakily placed heading into day two.
Elsewhere, former Windies Under-19 star, Keacy Carty marked the start of the new West Indies Championship season with his second first-class hundred to lead a Leeward Islands Hurricanes recovery against Barbados Pride on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Carty defied a blow to the helmet and a destructive spell from leg-spinner Hayden Walsh, Jr with a resolute 114 that revived the Hurricanes after they slumped to 65 for four, after they chose to bat on the opening day of their day/night, first-round match at the Three Ws Oval.
Carty was struck on the helmet by fellow, former Windies Under-19 teammate Chemar Holder with a bouncer approaching his milestone, but he drove fast-medium bowler Justin Greaves through cover for his seventh boundary to reach the landmark.
The St. Maarten-born, opening the batting, collected 10 fours and one six from 198 balls in a shade under 5 ½ hours and shared a cluster of useful stands down the order to give the Hurricanes a boost, after Walsh, a former Hurricanes leg-spinner, tried to derail them with 5-75 from 16.2 overs.
Carty was the only Hurricanes batsman that passed 20, but stands of 41 for the fifth wicket with Terance Warde, 48 for the seventh wicket with fellow St. Maartener Daniel Doram, the former Netherlands left-arm spinner, and 40 for the eighth wicket with Jeremiah Louis carried the visitors to a respectable total.
Pride left-handed opening pair of Anthony Alleyne, not out on two, and Shayne Moseley, not out on eight, batted through 40 minutes under the lights to ensure the hosts did not lose a wicket before stumps were drawn.
