CWI Regional Digicel 4-day C/Ships …Bramble’s unbeaten 196 put Jaguars in control

Dec 16, 2017 Sports, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...-jaguars-in-control/

By Sean Devers
On a day in which 44 minutes were lost due to rain, a magnificent unbeaten 196 by wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble, who shared in a record 110-run last wicket stand with Gudakesh Motie led Guyana Jaguars to a position of strength against the Leewards Hurricanes when day two of their seventh round Day/Night match in the CWI Digicel Regional four-day tournament ended last evening at Providence.
Bramble batted brilliantly and extended his maiden hundred to 196 from 292 balls with 23 fours and five sixes before Motie, who made 44 from 91 balls with six boundaries, rallied the Jaguars from their overnight position of 276-8 to 417 all out.
Bramble, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Monday, fell short of Grenadian Junior Murray’ 218 against Guyana in 1997 in Grenada, as the only Wicketkeepers to score a First-Class double century in West Indies cricket.
Skipper Rakeem Cornwall (3-117) and Marvin Matthew (2-31) were the main wicket-takers for Hurricanes who were 114-9 by the close.
Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, in his 100th First-Class game, took his tally this season to 37with 6-21, while Romario Shepherd had 2-29 and the Jaguars were in the driver’s seat.
Hurricanes lost both openers in the space of two runs when Monchin Hodge (9) was bowled by Romario Shepherd at 24-1 and Chesney Hughes (10) was bowled by Kemo Paul.
Devon Thomas played aggressively and together with Shane Burton saw the 50 posted but shortly afterwards the 22-year-old Shepherd was trapped by Thomas (20) LBW at 51-3.
Akeem Saunders (18) and Burton added 25 runs but with score on 76 Permaul, the leading wicket-taker with 39 wickets so far, struck twice in three balls as Saunders was well taken at slip by Leon Johnson before Jamal Hamilton (0) edged Bramble behind the stumps.
Permaul, one of five bowlers with 300 Regional First-Class wickets, struck again when he had Burton (20) caught and bowled to leave the score on 89-6 before Cornwall, who lifted Permaul for six and Terrence Ward took the score 100 before the burly Cornwall edged a cut to Bramble at 107-7.
When Ward (8) was LBW to give Permaul his 25th five-wicket haul and Gavin Tonge (2) was LBW to Permaul two runs later, the Hurricanes were in total disarray at 114-9.
Jeremiah Louis (1) and Marvin Matthews (0) saw them to the close, still 304 runs behind the Jaguars’ total.
Earlier, Permaul who joined Bramble when Shepherd was bowled by Gavin Tonge on Thursday with the score 268-8 and the pair resumed day two on 276-8 with Bramble extending his maiden ton to 116 and Permaul on one.
The pair took the score to 307 with Bramble playing an array of positive shots got to his 150 with a big six off Cornwall before Permaul (11) had his stumps knocked back by Matthews.
Last man Motie, who made an unbeaten 72 against Barbados two matches ago, lent excellent support as Bramble who hails from Guyana’s most Eastern Town soldiered on.
Bramble, in his 45th First-class game, continued to counterattack as the partnership progressed as Motie played a classy cover driven boundary off Thomas.
A boundary from Motie brought the partnership to 78 which broke Guyana’s last wicket record off 77 between Vishaul Singh and Keon Joseph in the last match between these two sides in St Kitts.
The pair extended their partnership beyond the three-figure mark with both batsmen matching each other shot for shot although Bramble hit the ball much harder and with both batsmen approaching landmarks, the Hurricanes were looking a frustrated group with the record stand growing steadily.
But with Motie three short of his second fifty and Bramble six short of getting a double, Motie batting with a level head, inexplicable charged Ward and missed a wild swipe and was stumped.
His irresponsible shot selection not only robbed him of a half-century but also left Bramble, who joined Clifton McWatt, Milton Pydanna, Darwin Christian and Vishaul Nagamootoo as Guyanese Keepers with Regional Centuries, stranded on 196.
Today is the third day and play starts at 14:00hrs.