PCL: Chanderpaul, Bramble and Barnwell rally Jaguars to 263-6

Still no centuries by Guyana Jaguars batsmen, but three half-centuries made it honours even at the end of day one of their Four-Day clash with Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the National Stadium, Providence, on Thursday.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Anthony Bramble is unbeaten on 63, while Devendra Bishoo is on 10, with the score 263-6.

Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Christopher Barnwell were the other significant scorers as off-spinner Bryan Charles kept the Jaguars in check with 4-62.

Chanderpaul continued his rock solid performance at the top with his powers of concentration, reaching his third half-century of the season from 219 balls.

He shared an opening stand of 38 with fellow left-hander Chandrapaul Hemraj, contributing just a single. Hemraj made 36 (6x4s; 1×6), while Johnson 20 (3x4s) was the other batsman to fall in the first session.

Jaguars went to lunch on 69-2.

Vishaul Singh went soon after the break for four, leaving the Jaguars in a spot of bother at 80-3. Barnwell then produced another rescue act in a vital 86-run partnership with Chanderpaul, the right-hander increasing the tempo of scoring to get the Jaguars to 150-3 by tea.

Instead of the nervous 90s, he seemed to have those moments in the 40s as Akeal Hosein, bowling from the Southern End, got generous turn and bounce which resulted in close shaves on Barnwell’s outside edge.

A slice through point brought up his second half-century of the season. Soon after he played two thumping drives over mid-off of Hosein, before falling for 58 (10x4s), leg before to Darren Bravo.

Bramble entered the fray and wasted little time to get going, producing some expansive stroke-play. From his sweep shots to a massive six straight and cheeky cuts through point, Bramble was galvanising Jaguars position, given Chanderpaul was firm at the other end.

They added 85 in quick time with Bramble doing the bulk of the scoring. Bramble has thus hit nine fours and two sixes in his 49-ball innings.

Chanderpaul fell late in the day’s play, caught behind off Charles after facing 251 balls in close to six hours at the crease; he also struck nine fours. It was the third occasion he fell in the sixties this season.

Kevin Sinclair had a soft dismissal, hitting a return catch to Charles off his third ball without getting off the mark.

Day two commences at 09:30h and the hosts would aspire for a big score, given the productiveness of Red Force’s batting this season.