Chanderpaul spares Jaguars’ blushes with defiant half century

 Shivnarine Chanderpaul was his usual dependable self with a fighting half century which ensured the Guyana Jaguars ended with a 77-run  lead on first innings. (Orlando Charles photo)
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was his usual dependable self with a fighting half century which ensured the Guyana Jaguars ended with a 77-run lead on first innings. (Orlando Charles photo)

Another invaluable innings from stalwart Shivnarine Chanderpaul and stellar bowling performance by the host, left the Windward Islands Volcanoes staring at another defeat at stumps on day two in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) regional four-day tournament at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Volcanoes, after dismissing Jaguars for 194 yesterday in reply to their first innings score of 117, ended the day on 127 – 6 with a lead of 50.

The day began with Jaguars resuming on 78 – 2, trailing by 39 runs. They lost Vishaul Singh (7) who failed to his overnight tally, early in the day with only two runs added to the total. 

Sherfane Rutherford took a couple of key wickets yesterday to help put the Guyana Jaguars in the driving seat. (Orlando Charles photo)

Volcanoes then took three more quick wickets to reduce Jaguars to 98 – 6 and in danger of losing on first innings.

West Indies legend Chanderpaul howeve,r for the second time in this year’s tournament, relied on all of the international experience to produce a 56-run, seventh-wicket stand with Sherfane Rutherford to spare the Jaguars’ blushes and take them to a first-inning lead of 77 runs.

The pair took the score to 154 after which Shane Shillingford dismissed Rutherford (13) to end the stand.

Chanderpaul, though, continued to battle with the tail to post his half century  before being the last man dismissed for 56 from 120 balls a knock which included seven fours and two sixes.

Shillingford ended with 4 for 36 and combined with seamers Sherman Lewis (3-62) and Kyle Myres (2-56) to prevent the three-time defending champions of earning a more significant lead.

Volcanoes in their second innings failed to convert a number of promising partnerships to reach 126 – 6 at the close.

Jaguars took wickets at regular intervals in the innings with speedster Keon Joseph accounting for the initial breakthrough, removing skipper Tyrone Theophile (16), with the score on 27 – 1.

Rutherford then continued to prove his value to the Jaguars set up by blasting out Taryck Gabriel (9) and Miles Bascombe (9) before the visitors managed to overhaul the deficit.

Spinners Gudakesh Motie and Veerasammy Permaul joined in the action to claim the scalps of Roland Cato (4) and Donwell Hector (20) to see the Volcanoes slip into further trouble with the score on 103 – 5.

Former West Indies opener, Devon Smith all the while, watched as wickets tumbled at the other end. He was not out on  49 at the end but lost  Myres (11) who was bowled by Keemo Paul late in the day to underline Volcanoes’s dismal season to date.

Rutherford led the way for the host with 2-19 and all the other bowlers collected a wicket each to underscore a complete bowling effort.