BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Guyana Jaguars produced a clinical all-round effort to easily trounce Leeward Islands Hurricanes by seven wickets and book their spot in the final four of the Regional Super50 here today.
Showing no ill-effects from their defeat in the last round, Jaguars bundled out Hurricanes for 172 off 49.4 overs and then cautiously chased down their target to win in the 47th over at the St Paul’s Sports Complex.
Veteran left-handed Shiv Chanderpaul was at the forefront once more, stroking an unbeaten 57 while opener Vishaul Singh got 44 and Assad Fudadin, 27.
The victory put Jaguars, last year’s losing finalists, on 14 points alongside Windward Islands Hurricanes who lost to Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners on Friday.
Marooners have eight points while Hurricanes are on six, ahead of Sunday’s final round of games.
Chanderpaul, discarded by West Indies selectors last year, gathered his second half-century of the tournament as he piloted Jaguars to their target.
The 41-year-old faced 85 balls and counted five fours, posting 57 in an unbroken fourth wicket stand with Barbadian all-rounder Raymon Reifer who was unbeaten on 16 from 31 balls at the end.
Left-handers Vishaul and Fudadin had earlier laid the foundation for the successful chase with a stand of 65 for the first wicket.
Vishaul struck three fours in his 81-ball knock while Fudadin gathered two fours off 60 deliveries.
Jamaican leg-spinner Odean Brown removed both lbw, six overs apart, but Chanderpaul and captain Leon Johnson (13) added a further 33 for the third wicket to keep the innings afloat.
Debutant fast bowler Romario Shepherd had earlier announced himself on the regional scene with a three-wicket haul which helped to send Hurricanes tumbling cheaply.
The 21-year-old right-armer claimed three for 37 from his ten overs as Hurricanes, opting to bat first, wobbled at the start, regained their footing before collapsing again.
Off-spinner Royston Crandon (2-1), left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (2-28) and left-arm seamer Reifer (2-47) all finished with two wickets apiece.
Rahkeem Cornwall top-scored with 35 from 36 deliveries with one four and two sixes while left-handed opener Chesney Hughes hit 33 from 59 deliveries with four fours and a six.
Orlando Peters chipped in with 24.
Hurricanes were wobbling at eight for two in the third over after Shepherd knocked over Shane Jeffers and Montcin Hodge, both without scoring, in the space of three deliveries.
Hughes and Jamaican Nkrumah Bonner added 46 for the third wicket (18) but a middle order slide saw five wickets tumble for 57 runs, to leave Hurricanes on 111 for seven in the 41st over.
Cornwall and Jacques Taylor (18) provided a late flourish when they added 58 off 50 balls for the eighth wicket.
