BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A Vishaul Singh half-century provided champions Guyana Jaguars with a ray of hope but they were left facing a difficult final day after Barbados Pride took a firm grip of the second round encounter at Kensington Oval here yesterday.
Behind by 180 on first innings after Pride were dismissed for 389, Jaguars closed the third day on 141 for three – still requiring a further 39 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
Vishaul was unbeaten on 56, an innings that has spanned 107 balls, nearly 2-¾ hours and included 10 fours.
He anchored two key stands after Jaguars found themselves on 12 for one when Tagenarine Chanderpaul perished cheaply for six in the fifth over of the innings, lbw to Test seamer Kemar Roach.
First, he put on 53 with captain Leon Johnson (17) to build on a second wicket stand started with Chandrapaul Hemraj who was forced to retire hurt on eight with 15 runs on the board.
When Johnson was bowled by seamer Kevin Stoute, Vishaul found an ally in Chris Barnwell (26) to add a further 46 for the third wicket, before closing out the day in an unbroken fourth wicket stand with Raymon Reifer (17). Resuming their first innings earlier on 239 for three, Pride found impetus through Kyle Mayers who top-scored with 75 while Jonathan Carter made 73.
Roach, batting at number eight, chipped in with 35 while number 10 Jomel Warrican got 24, as the hosts’ lower order frustrated Jaguars.
Fast bowler Keon Joseph led the visitors’ attack with four for 75 while fellow speedster Nial Smith, in his second first class game, supported with two for 84.
Pride flourished inside the first hour as Carter combined with Mayers to extend their fourth wicket stand to 111 before they were separated.
Carter, resuming the day on 61, struck nine fours off 204 balls in just shy of 4-¼ hours while Mayers, on 36 overnight, belted 11 fours and two sixes in an entertaining 100-ball knock.
Pride were cruising on 285 for three when Joseph conjured up an excellent spell to wreck the middle order, as four wickets tumbled for 16 runs in quick time.
The right-armer trapped Carter lbw with a full length delivery immediately following the first drinks break and without addition to the score two balls later, comprehensively bowled opener Shayne Moseley who resumed his innings on 46 after retiring hurt the previous evening.
Joseph then struck the key blow when he removed Mayers to a catch by Chanderpaul just inside the boundary at deep point.
When Stoute followed for six in the next over, Pride were losing their way at 301 for seven but Roach frustrated the Jaguars, putting on 37 for the eighth wicket with Warrican before adding a further 46 for the ninth with Keon Harding (21), as he struck four fours and a six in a 65-ball innings.
