Regional Super50 Festival 2 Hetmyer (103), Johnson (50*) fire as Jaguars roar to 8-wkt win over USA

Feb 03, 2018 Sports, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...-8-wkt-win-over-usa/

By Sean Devers in Antigua
In association with Vnet Communications,
Bounty Farm, Noble House Seafoods &
Playter’s Enterprise
A belligerent 103 from Shimron Hetmyer and an unbeaten 50 from Skipper Leon Johnson powered Guyana Jaguars to an emphatic eight-wicket win over the USA in their second match in the Regional Super50 Festival at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium yesterday.
Replying to the 188-8 off 50 overs made by the USA, Hetmyer launched a merciless attack on the hapless bowlers hitting eight fours and seven sixes from just 64 balls.
Hetmyer, who turned 21 last Boxing Day, added 118 with his 31-year-old skipper, Johnson, whose unbeaten 50 lasted 63 balls and was decorated with four fours and six as the Jaguars reached 192-2 in 32.1 overs.
Excellent bowling from left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (2-29 from 10), leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo (1-15 from 10), Kemo Paul (2-32 from 8) and debutant pacer Clinton Pestano (1-19 from 7) had left the USA on 99-7 after 31.1 overs.
But the Jaguars’ continued inability to polish off the tail after blowing away the top order, untidy bowling from Reifer (in his second spell) and Sherfane Rutherford (0-42 from 7 overs), 30 extras including 21 wides and an 89-run eighth wicket stand in 18.5 overs from Elmore Hutchinson (45) and Mrunal Patel with an unbeaten on 43, lifted USA hopes.
Reifer’s two early wickets after Paul had struck first with the day’s second ball, had left the score on 10-3, but the Bajan finished with 2-43 due an expensive second spell, while Rutherford was also expensive.
The USA were anchored by a flamboyant 51 from 83 balls with five fours and a six by 31-year-old from West Indies Test batsman Xavier Marshall who shared in a 50-run stand with Timil Patel (16) for the fourth wicket, while the eighth wicket pair capitalised on ragged ‘death’ bowling against the weakest team in the tournament.
USA opted to bat when play commenced late due morning showers, and with sun back in all its glory, began in horrendous fashion losing their first three batsmen for ducks.
Former India U-19 batsman Sunny Sohal edged Paul to Keeper Anthony Bramble, while Reifer removed Jaskaran Malhotra and skipper Ibrahim Khaleel, both to catches to Hetmyer at slip.
Marshall got the first runs off the bat when he square drove Paul, who had already given away six wides.
Marshall spooned Paul to short mid-off but Reifer and Veerasammy Permaul failed to communicate and Permaul eventually floored a diving attempt with the score 16-3.
Marshall on-drove Paul for a couple to ensure that West Indies U-19s still hold the record for lowest total when they were ‘skittled out’ for 18 against Barbados at Blairmount in 2008.
Marshall, with seven Tests and 24 ODIs to his name, drove Paul pleasantly past mid-off for the first boundary off the bat.
Marshall and Timil Patel halted the slide with Marshall easing Pestano over extra cover before pulling Rutherford for a boundary.
Both Rutherford and Pestano, (replacing Romario Shepherd) tested the batsmen with short balls on a track which was not as lively as the one prepared for the game against Kent.
But when Pestano pitched up, Marshall drove imperiously past cover for four to evoke memories of Carl Hooper in full flow as the Jamaican began to look threatening.
The 50 stand with Patel was posted off 89 balls and Marshall celebrated by hooking Rutherford for six and hitting him over mid-off for four.
Pestano, who produced a hostile spell, soon rocked back the stumps of Patel to end his fighting innings and leave the score on 70-4.
Permaul had a confident caught behind shout against Marshall turned down before the New Yorker used his feet and smashed him like a bullet on the spongy outfield for four.
Roy Silva (3) lofted Permaul impetuously to long-off where Hetmyer held the catch at 79-5.
The elegant Marshall soon reached his fourth fifty at this level from 78 balls before Hetmyer took his fourth catch of the game as Permaul removed Marshall at 96-6.
Usman Rafiq missed a sweep at Bishoo and was trapped LBW for a duck three runs later in the 31st over and the Jaguars might have been thinking of limiting USA to less than 120.
But Patel and Hutchinson had other ideas and the pair launched into Reifer and Rutherford before Hutchinson hit Paul to Chanderpaul at cover off the last ball of the 50th over.
But by then Hutchinson had plundered two fours and three sixes in a 57-ball 45. Patel’s unbeaten 43 lasted 87 balls and included a six and a four.
When Jaguars began their reply Chanderpaul Hemraj was promoted to open with Shivnarine Chanderpaul but Hemraj (7) soon edged 35-year-old Jamaican left-arm pacer Hutchinson to slip at 19-1.
Watched by a handful of tourists, Hetmyer, with five Tests and two ODIs under his belt joined veteran Chanderpaul in ‘operation rebuild’ and was quickly into his stride; smashing left arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar for three leg-side boundaries.
Chanderpaul with three tons and 25 fifties in Regional 50-over cricket played the supporting role; knocking the ball into the gaps before he retired with cramps on eight at 49-1 in the 12th over.
Johnson clobbered off-spinner Rafiq over mid-wicket for six and cut him behind point for four, while Hetmyer deposited Silva for six and brutally cut Rafiq for four and reached his third 50 at this level from just 39 balls.
Hetmyer was on a rampage and jumped on Nosthush Kenjige like a Jaguar on its prey and ripped him to shreds with two massive sixes before smashing Kenjige for 6,4,4,1 in his next over to gallop into the nineties.
He past his 94 made in last year’s tournament before sweeping Patel for four to reach his hundred from 64 balls.
But Hetmyer (103) was removed by Netravalkar soon after reaching his ton with the score on 167-2.
Johnson, gaining in confidence as his innings progressed, swept Tamil Patel for four before steering Saurabh Netravalkar for another boundary to move into the forties.
Another four off Netravalkar carried him to 49 before he got to 12thfifty at this level from 63 balls, while Reifer (11) finished the contest with a boundary.
The Jaguars face host Leewards Hurricanes in a Day/Night game at Coolidge from 14:00hrs tomorrow.

SCOREBOARD

USA
S Sohal c wkp Bramble b Paul 0
J Malhotra c Hetmyer b Reifer 0
X Marshall c Hetmyer b Permaul 51
*+I Khaleel c Hetmyer b Reifer 0
T Patel b Pestano 16
R Silva c Hetmyer b Permaul 3
M Patel not out 43
U Rafiq lbw b Bishoo 0
E Hutchinson c Chanderpaul b Paul 45
Extras (b2, lb6, w21, nb1) 30
TOTAL (8 wkts, 50 overs) 188

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-1, 3-10, 4-70,
5-79, 6-96, 7-99, 8-188.

Did not bat: S Netravalkar, N Kenjige.
Bowling: Paul 8-1-32-2, Reifer 8-1-43-2,
Pestano 7-1-19-1, Rutherford 7-1-42-0,
Permaul 10-1-29-2, Bishoo 10-1-15-1.

JAGUARS
C Hemraj c Silva b Hutchinson 7
S Chanderpaul ret. hurt 8
S Hetmyer c Marshall b Netravalkar 103
*L Johnson not out 50
R Reifer not out 11
Extras (b1, lb7, w3, nb1) 12
TOTAL (2 wkts, 32.2 overs) 191

Did not bat: +A Bramble, K Paul, S Rutherford,
C Pestano, D Bishoo, V Permaul.

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-167.
Bowling: Hutchinson 6-0-14-1, Netravalkar 10-0-46-1,
Rafiq 6.2-0-38-0, Silva 4-0-23-0, Patel 4-0-30-0,
Kenjige 2-0-32-0.

Result: Jaguars won by eight wickets.
Toss: USA.
Umpires: J Williams, L Reifer Jr.