Back-to-back champs!

Led by spinners Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie and Devendra Bishoo, Guyana Jaguars romped to an emphatic innings and 54-run win over the Jamaica Scorpions yesterday at Providence, triumphantly

retaining their West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)/Professional Cricket League (PCL) Regional 4-Day title and ending the 2015/16 season unbeaten.

Heading into the 10th round encounter needing to beat the Jamaicans handsomely in order to be rightfully addressed as back-to-back 4-Day title winners, Guyana racked up a massive 420 in their first innings.

They were indebted to Shimron Hetmyer (107), Captain Leon Johnson (93) and Rajendra Chandrika (76) for the formidable total, which in the end proved too much for the Scorpions who were steamrolled for 231 and 134 in their respective innings.

So dominant was the Jaguars that they completed victory with a full day to spare.

Back-to-back WICB/PCL Regional Four Day champions Guyana Jaguars pose for a pic following their innings a 54-run win over Jamaica
Back-to-back WICB/PCL Regional Four Day champions Guyana Jaguars pose for a pic following their innings a 54-run win over Jamaica

Guyana Jaguars, who entered this match on 130 points, had held the number one spot for the entire season.

The 19 points the acquired for their win, took their total to 149 points, effectively relegating their only threat this season, the Barbados Pride (142 points), to second place and wrapping up one of the most dominant seasons in 4-day cricket.

The 26-year-old Permaul sliced through the visitors, first bagging 2-43 in the first innings before dominating the second innings with figures of 5-36, ending with overall statistics of 7-79. West Indies leg-spinner Bishoo ripped apart the lower order with his 3-43 in the second innings while the ex-West Indies Under-19 spinner Motie was sublime in the first innings, snatching up 4-55.

Permaul ended the season as the spinner with the most wickets for

Guyana with 41 followed by Motie with 40.

In the batting department, Johnson finished the season as the leading run-scorer with over 800 runs.

Resuming on 171-5, trailing by 249 runs, Jamaica were knocked over for their first innings 231 in 91.3 overs after Motie ran roughshod with his 4-fer.

After enforcing the follow-on with a lead of 189 runs, openers Shacaya Thomas (12) and John Campbell (10) were removed by Chris Barnwell (1-6) and Permaul while Raymon Reifer (1-16) bagged the big wicket of Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood who scored 62 in the first innings, departing for an aggressive 14-ball 16 with two fours and one six.

Guyana Jaguars Captain Leon Johnson accepts his trophy from Richard Pybus
Guyana Jaguars Captain Leon Johnson accepts his trophy from Richard Pybus

Permaul continued his wizardry, this time finding the edge of top-scorer Andre McCarthy’s bat (21) who was duly caught by the wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble. Skipper Paul Palmer endured a torrid time in the middle, absorbing some 30 balls for his quartet of runs which came via a boundary before he became another victim of a successful lbw shout.

At 66 for 5, things got worse when the left-arm Test spinner Permaul had wicket-keeper Aldaine Thomas stumped by Bramble for 07, as the visitors went into tea reeling at 87-6. Bishoo produced a ripper to remove Damion Jacobs who was bowled for 17 a few overs after the tea break.

With three wickets needed, Tagenarine Chanderpaul took a brilliant running catch off Bishoo to remove Devon Thomas (17).

Permaul continued to menace the batters, pinning Jason Dawes (05) lbw as umpire Shannon Crawford raised the dreaded finger. The final

nail in the coffin was put hammered home by Permaul who had Bulli caught by Motie at long-on for a resilient 52-ball 15, as the Jags completed another commanding win this season.

Earlier, the Scorpions resumed their innings with Devon Thomas and Aldaine Thomas in the middle. Motie dismissed over the former for 43 after he managed to add a mere three runs to his overnight score while Permaul trapped the wicket-keeper Aldaine leg before wicket for a well-played 45 which included five fours. The two left-arm spinners mopped up the tail, removing Jacobs (19), Bulli (02) and

Brown (04), leaving Dawes stranded on 8.

At the post match presentation World Cup winning West Indies Under-19 skipper Hetmyer was adjudged Man-of-the-match for his maiden First

class hundred. West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Director of Cricket Operations Richard Pybus congratulated both sides and made special mention of the Jaguars efforts this season while encouraging the Scorpions to keep playing hard so they will be able to better their performances next season.

Guyana Jaguars 1st innings (420, S Hetmyer 107, L Johnson 93, R Chandrika 76) D Jacobs 5-131

Jamaica Scorpions 1st Innings

J. Campbell c Permaul b Reifer                                01
S. Thomas c wkp Bramble b Motie                         32
J. Blackwood lbw Reifer                                             62
A. McCarthy lbw Motie                                              03
P. Palmer* lbw Motie                                                  06
D. Thomas b Motie                                                      43
A. Thomas b lbw Permaul                                        45
Damion Jacobs b Barnwell                                      19
Dennis Bulli c Barnwell b Permaul                     02
Jason Dawes not out                                                 08
Gavon Brown c sub (Keemo Paul) b Bishoo  04
Extras: (nb4, lb-2)                                                    6
Total: (10 wickets, 93.1 overs)                           231
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-70, 3-74, 4-88, 5-120, 6-174, 7-205, 8-219,
9-226, 10-231
Bowling: Reifer 16-6-47-2, Barnwell 13-4-39-1, Motie 26.3-8-55-4,
Permaul 22-7-43-2, Bishoo 12-3-45-1

Jamaica Scorpions 2nd innings
J. Campbell lbw b Permaul                                10
S. Thomas c Permaul b Barnwell                    10
J. Blackwood c Barnwell b Reifer                  16
A. McCarthy c Bramble b Permaul               21
P. Palmer* lbw b Bishoo                                    04
D. Thomas c Chanderpaul b Bishoo             17
A. Thomas stmp’d Bramble b Bishoo          07
Damion Jacobs b Bishoo                                  17
Dennis Bulli c Motie b Permaul                    15
Jason Dawes b lbw Permaul                           0 6
Gavon Brown not out                                        06
Total: (10 wickets 50 overs)                        134
Extras: (1-nb)
Bowling: Reifer 6-0-16-1, Barnwell 2-1-6-1, Motie 7-1-31-0, Permaul
19-7-36-5, Bishoo 16-2-43-3