Narsingh Deonarine’s unbeaten half-century helped pilot the Guyana Jaguars to a first day score of 230-5 against the Leewards in yesterday’s first round of the 2014/15 West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) Professional Cricket League 4-day tournament played at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
The former West Indies Test and ODI batsman stroked a 191-ball 73 with eight fours.
With Deonarine well set and creeping towards a possible three figure and Chris Barnwell looking ominous on 24 not out with four boundaries, the Jaguars look set for a big score when they resume their innings today.
Veteran West Indies and Guyana batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul grafted a workman-like 45 with three fours from 106 balls after opener Rajendra Chandrika hit seven fours in his score of 31 and Captain Leon Johnson cracked six eye-catching fours in his 30 to help contribute to their team’s total. Bowling for the Leewards, former West Indies pacer Gavin Tonge snared 2-39 while Orlando Peters, 1-31 and Jacques Taylor, 1-53, were the other two bowlers to make inroads.
The Guyana openers started off cautiously against the new ball bowlers who were able to extract a bit of shape and bounce out of the track. Peters got the first breakthrough when he trapped Assad Fudadin LBW for 6, after the left-hander had survived a confident leg-before appeal from Tonge an over before.
At 14-1, Johnson walked out to partner Chandrika who remained positive despite the loss of his partner. The right-hander went into double figures with a cut for four through point while the skipper, who faced 23 balls without scoring a run, opened his account with a delightful cover-drive for four.
Johnson and Chandrika continued to tick over the scoreboard with quick singles and both players were severe on anything loose as they put away bad deliveries for boundaries. After 25 overs the Jaguars were 53-1 heading into lunch with Chandrika and his captain looking comfortably placed.
The first few overs after lunch were surreal for the Jaguars after Johnson cracked Leonard for two boundaries in the first over. However, the visitors would reply in a major way when the set Chandrika was bizarrely run out by the Leewards skipper and wicket-keeper Devon Thomas after looking on course for a half-century.
Deonarine then joined forced with Johnson who was looking solid on 25 but like Chandrika who seemed set for a good score, the West Indies Test batsman had his innings cut short when he edged a good delivery from Tonge into the waiting gloves of his opposite designation, leaving the score 85-3.
Chanderpaul then prepared himself for another anchor/repair job as he and fellow left-hander Deonarine then set out on a journey to milk the Leewards’ slower bowlers before umpires called for the second water break.
After settling, Deonarine displayed a mixture or aggression and composure as he quickly raced to 48 while the more sedate Chanderpaul had grafted 23, giving the Jaguars a psychological sense of comfort with the score at 140-3 at the tea interval.
Upon the resumption of play, Deonarine reached his 50 in a subtle manner as he probably figured that a more important task was ahead. After a brief passage of play the partnership was broken when Taylor got a delivery to grip and spin, inducing an edge from Chanderpaul who was caught by the skipper Thomas.
Barbadian all-rounder Raymon Reifer (18), looked good during his short stay at the crease and managed to accumulate a three boundaries before he was trapped LBW by Tonge. Local all-rounder Barnwell walked to the crease to partner Deonarine who, by that time, had already dug in and was approaching a century.
Leewards decided to take the new ball minutes before the scheduled close of play as they sought to penetrate further into the Jaguars batting reservoir but the duo managed to see of a potential threat under the fading lights as the first day’s play concluded.
The match continues today at 10:00hrs and admission is free to the public.
Scorecard
Guyana Jaguars 1st innings
R. Chandrika run out (Thomas) 31
A Fudadin lbw b Peters 06
L Johnson c wkpr Thomas b Tonge 31
N Deonarine not out 73
S Chanderpaul c wkpr Thomas b Taylor 45
R Reifer lbw b Tonge 18
C Barnwell not out 24
Extras (lb-1, nb-1) 02
Total (for 5 wickets off 90 overs) 230
Fall of wicket: 1-14 (Fudadin, 7.4), 2-62 (Chandrika 27.1), 3-86 (Johnson (34.3), 4-169 (Chanderpaul 69.5), 5-199 (R. Reifer 80.5)
To bat: A. Bramble, V. Permaul, D. Bishoo, R. Beaton
Bowling: Tonge 15-5-39-2 Walters 13-1-31-0 Peters 12-0-31-1 Leonard 11-2-43-0 Taylor 20-3-53-1 (nb1) Martin 19-9-32-0
