CWI Digicel Regional 4-Day C/Ships… Singh (119), Bramble (90), Rutherford put Jaguars in command

Nov 04, 2017 Sports, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...-jaguars-in-command/

By Sean Devers in St Lucia
In association with
Vnet Communications & Regal Stationary

A magnificent 180-run fifth wicket stand between Vishaul Singh and Anthony Bramble, an explosive half-century from Sherfane Rutherford and the late afternoon wicket of Devon Smith put Guyana Jaguars in a commanding position on day two of the second round CWI Digicel Regional Four-Day Championship game against Windwards Volcanoes at the Daren Sammy Stadium yesterday.
The 28-year-old Singh hit 11 fours from 252 balls in his responsible 119 and shared in a century stand with the 26-year-old Bramble who faced 162 balls and had 10 fours before falling 10 short of a maiden First-Class hundred, while Rutherford followed up his 6-32 with a shot filled 59-ball 51 decorated with seven fours and four sixes as the Jaguars reached 357 all out replying the Volcanoes 153.
Obed McCoy (3-56) and Sherman Lewis (2-81) were the main wicket takers for Volcanoes who ended the day on 54-1 with Skipper Tyrone Teophile on 35 with five fours and a six and Kirk Edwards on 12 with their team still needing another 150 to avoid an innings defeat.
Jaguars resumed on 117-4 and Singh, who began the day on 34 and Bramble, who resumed on 12, both batted solidly with Bramble being the more dominant of the two.
Lewis, McCoy and Ray Jordon all produced lively spells of quality fast bowling on a track which seemed to get better for batting but still had enough in it to keep the pacers interested, while the slow outfield did not give the batsmen value for their shots.
In sunny conditions Singh reached his 11th first-class fifty first, from 109 balls decorated with four fours with a tuck for a single, while Bramble pulled Lewis for a commanding seventh boundary. His seventh half-century at this level came from 74 balls.
Singh used his feet to hit Shillingford sweetly past mid-off for four before gloriously cutting Jordon and square driving Audy Alexander to the backward point boundary, while Bramble smashed a couple off boundaries as they batted out the entire opening session yesterday without being separated.
At Lunch Jaguars were 218-4 with Singh 79 and Bramble on 64 as the pair added 101 runs in the morning session with sensible and attractive stroke-play.
After the interval, the pair which joined forces at 88-4 when Chanderpaul Hemraj was caught behind off Shillingford, continued to play confidently until Bramble seemed to lose concentration and lofted Shillingford just over the head of mid-off for four after getting himself bogged off the previous deliveries.
Bramble passed his previous best of 77, while Singh got closer to his first hundred in 12 innings since making an unbeaten 135 for West Indies X1 against Pakistan in April.
But Bramble seemed to have developed a mental block as he approached uncharted waters and completely lost concentration; playing a few wild swipes at McCoy, who delivered an early Christmas gift and Bramble feasted on the juicy full toss stroking it to the cover boundary to take him to 90.
Singh played Shillingford just short of cover when in the nineties before Bramble threw his wicket away when he lofted Jordon high to cover to leave the Jaguars on 263-5.
First match centurion Kemo Paul (3) played a loose drive to mid-off and was removed by Teophile in the last over before Tea at 284-6 before Singh (117) and Sherfane Rutherford (1) saw Guyana to 287-6 at the break.
After Tea, Singh pulled a long-hop from Teophile to short mid-wicket 301-7, while Rutherford got going with three boundaries off Shillingford and hit four more fours and two sixes off Teophile.
Rutherford galloped to his maiden 50 but in the interest off getting as many batting points as possible was brilliantly taken at third man by Alexander upper cutting McCoy at 353-8 before Shillingford and McCoy wrapped up the tail.
When Volcanoes began their second innings, Teophile hit Romario Shepherd for two fours, before they lost danger man Devon Smith for a duck as Keon Joseph struck at 10-1.
Edwards got going with a boundary, while Teophile played three imperious drives of Joseph in the same over as the West Indies ‘A’ bowler over-pitched before he dumped Paul for six over long-off in his first over as the pair survived an excellent new ball spell from Joseph to see their team to the close.

Scores:

VOLCANOES 151 (Kavem Hodge 48, Gian Benjamin 24, Kirk Edwards 24; Sherfane Rutherford 6-32, Keemo Paul 2-28) and 54 for one (Tyrone Theophile 33 not out).

JAGUARS 357 (Vishaul Singh 119, Anthony Bramble 90, Chanderpaul Hemraj 50; Obed McCoy 3-56, Tyrone Theophile 2-48).