Defending champions Guyana Jaguars can now pat themselves on the back after they defeated the Windward Island Volcanoes by an innings and 122 runs, 44 minutes after play was called on the third morning of their 10th round match at the Guyana National stadium, yesterday.
The victory almost guarantees the Leon Johnson side a third consecutive Regional four-day championship title after they earned 21.6 points from the game to take their tally to 131.4 with a game to spare.
The championship is assured since second place Barbados who are currently on 105.2 points, playing in their final round match, are mathematically out of the equation, even if they snatch full points from their encounter against Jamaica.
The third and final day started with the Windward Islands Volcanoes on 102 for five with Devon Smith (60) and Kyle Mayers (02) the overnight batsmen.
The visitors started the day positively with Mayers lifting Gudakesh Motie’s second ball of the day over his head for six. Mayers followed up by punching the following delivery through the cover region for four to send a stern message to the defending champions.
His innings, however, ended prematurely when seamer Keemo Paul’s delivery took the outside edge of his bat for Assad Fudadin to take a diving catch, low to his left to remove the left-hander for 14.
It seemed as if the Volcanoes were in a hurry to hand Guyana their third successive championship.
Paul struck again when he had Smith (61) caught in the gully region to put the writing on the wall for the Islanders who showed little fight.
Motie then spun his web to dislodge Larry Edward (5) and Delorn Johnson (00) from successive deliveries only for his hat-trick delivery to be averted by Sherman Lewis who was later dismissed by Paul without scoring to end Volcanoes innings on 163 inside 47 overs, 44 minutes after play started.
Shane Shillingford was the not-out batsman on 35 from 35 deliveries during which he muscled five fours and two sixes in an entertaining knock.
Motie bagged four for 45 while man-of-the-match Paul snared three for 37 to take a match-hall of nine for 65. He also scored 46 when the Jaguars batted.
