BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies one-day opener Chandrapaul Hemraj punished Barbados Pride with his maiden first class hundred and also passed 1 000 runs at this level, as Guyana Jaguars dominated the star-studded hosts on the opening day of their third round encounter here yesterday.
The 25-year-old carved out a brilliant, attacking 144, an innings that formed the foundation of Jaguars’ eventual 319 for five, after they were asked to bat at Kensington Oval.
Barbadian all-rounder Raymon Reifer, now a fixture in the Jaguars side, was unbeaten on 53 at the close and was partnered by wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble on a cameo 51 not out.
Obdurate opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of Test legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul, scored a patient 37.
With seven current West Indies players included for the fixture, Pride started the day
with the odds in their favour but the four-time reigning champions quickly put them on the back foot.
Hemraj and Chanderpaul put on an enterprising 134 for the first wicket, a partnership that kept Pride wicket-less in the first session, as the visitors reached lunch on 83 without loss.
In his first match of the season following return from international duty, the left-handed Hemraj was positive from the outset, playing authoritatively against pace and spin.
In fact, he scored at a strike rate of 82, facing only 172 balls in barely a minute over four hours at the crease, punching 20 fours and four sixes.
He survived a chance on 33 off pacer Miguel Cummins when Ashley Nurse put down a regulation catch at second slip with the score on 49, about 35 minutes before lunch.
Unfazed, Hemraj reached the interval on 62 before reaching three figures in the second session. He lost Chanderpaul to a catch at mid-on by Jason Holder off left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican but added a further 65 for the second wicket with captain Leon Johnson (14).
Holder removed Johnson caught and bowled off the final ball before tea, one of four Jaguars wickets to tumble for 15 runs, as the innings stumbled to 214 for five after the break.
On 199 for two at the interval, Jaguars lost Hemraj in the first over following the resumption, playing on to Nurse after he had added one to his tea time 143.
Chris Barnwell was then run out for five before Vishaul Singh missed a sweep and was adjudged lbw to Nurse for nine.
However, Reifer and Bramble counter-attacked in an unbroken 105-run, sixth wicket stand which helped Jaguars regain control of the encounter.
The left-handed Reifer has so far faced 76 balls in almost 1-¾ hours at the crease and counted nine fours while Bramble has blasted 10 fours and a six in a rapid 53-ball knock.
Nurse has been the best Pride bowler with two for 77.
