Guyana Jaguars crush Scorpions to start season with huge win

THREE-times defending champions, Guyana Jaguars opened their Professional Cricket League (PCL) four-day title defence in ruthless fashion, crushing the Jamaica Scorpions by 264 runs yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Needing a further 422 runs on the final day, with eight wickets standing, the task was downright improbable to achieve in one day.
The hosts had perhaps expected an easier ride, but the early morning rains, and two annoying partnerships had created some discomfort.
However, the Jaguars were focused on the task at hand, since batting through the rest of the fourth day just to avoid defeat was always going to be difficult.
Only Fabian Allen (67), Assad Fudadin (42), Brandon King (35) and Dennis Bulli (32), were able to put up any form of resistance, as the Jamaicans were all out in their second innings for 219 in 98.4 overs.

Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul was the main architect in the Jaguars’ bowling unit, claiming 4-55, to finish with a match haul of 10-84.
He received support from Keemo Paul (2-25), while Romario Shepherd, Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie, all chipped in with a wicket each.
Earlier, the start of play was delayed by 45 minutes due to overnight and early morning rains. However, only 50 minutes of play was possible during the first session, and during that passage of play, overnight batsmen Fudadin and King took the score to 98, when rain forced the players off.

Fudadin, the Guyanese who refused a central contract locally and opted to play for the Scorpions, moved to 34 while King stretched his overnight 22, to 35.
However, when play resumed, King edged Permaul to Paul at second slip to end the 73 run third-wicket stand. The right-hander stroked three fours and one six in his 116-ball innings.
That dismissal then saw a flurry of wickets, with Paul effecting a direct hit to run out Captain Paul Palmer (1) before he had Fudadin caught at cover to end his 146-minute stay at the crease. The left-hander stroked four fours and one six.

Two overs later, Romaine Morrison (2), edged Paul to second slip and in less than half hour of play, the visitors had slipped to 116-6.
At that point, Allen and Bulli were able to stem the flow of wickets for some time, frustrating the home side with an attacking seventh-wicket stand.
The righted-handed Allen who was the aggressor, raced to his fourth first- class half-century from just 74 balls with eight fours and two sixes, and by tea the tourists had rallied to 194-6.
The pair had so far put together a fruitful stand of 79 runs with Allen on 62 and Dennis Bulli on 20.

With 28 overs remaining in the final session, the pair could only manage another five runs together before Shepherd bowled Allen, to end the 85-run stand, at 200-7. His innings lasted for 107 balls with nine fours and two sixes.
As the evening session progressed, Gudakesh Motie claimed the wicket of Bulli before Permaul claimed the last two wickets of Damani Sewell (9) and Derval Green without scoring to send the visitors crashing to a huge defeat.
The Jaguars will take on Windward Islands Volcanoes in round two from November 2 at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia.

Source: Guyanachronicle.com