THE Guyana Jaguars finished day two of the seventh round Cricket West Indies (CWI) Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-day encounter against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on top, taking nine of the tourists first innings wickets to put them on the back foot.

When bails were lifted last evening at 22:30hrs in the Day/Night encounter at the National Stadium, Providence, the Hurricanes were 114-9, still 304 behind the Jaguars first innings total of 417. Jeremiah Louis was on one Mervin Matthew yet to score.
The wickets were shared between the Guyanese bowlers. Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, who is playing in his 100th first class game, finished the day with 6-21, Romario Shepherd 2-29 and Keemo Paul 1-35.

Earlier, it was another memorable day for the Guyanese wicket-keeper batsman, who eased to an unbeaten 196 to ensure the hosts amass a huge first innings total. Bramble, playing in his 45th first-class matches, batted for 427 minutes, 291 balls, hitting 23 fours and five sixes.

Resuming at 276-8, the centurion, who began the day on 116, along with Permaul were composed for close to an hour, with the 27-year-old Bramble, who was the main architect in the Jaguars’ spirited fightback on day one, continued to score freely.
The pair pushed the Jaguars 300, before Permaul was trapped leg before wicket to Mervin Matthew for 11.

The right-handed Bramble, who was joined by Gudakesh Motie, remained unperturbed by the loss of his partner, and continued to combine excellent touch play, with some lusty blows, and brought his 150 with his fourth six, off 231 balls.
Soon after the players were force to leave the field after a sharp shower, but when play actually resumed after 44 minutes were lost, the pair took the home team on course for a fourth batting bonus point, reaching the 350-run mark.

The two Berbicians ensured the title holders maintained the momentum and kept the scoreboard busy, hitting boundaries freely, with the help by some uncharacteristically field placing.
So much was the assault, that the duo put together 110 runs, a last-wicket record stand for Guyana before Motie, who contributed 47 off 93 balls, was stumped attempting a huge heave off the bowling of Terence Warde.

The Jaguars opening bowlers Shepherd and Paul then backed up that batting effort, thriving with the new ball, removing both openers Montcin Hodge (9) and Chesney Hughes (10), to expose the visitors’ vulnerable batting order.
Shepherd got the first break through when he bowled Hodge while Paul had Hughes in similar fashion just before the break, at 26-2.

The final session further compounded the tourists’ woes. They lost Devon Thomas (20), leg before wicket to Shepherd before Permaul created the rest of the damage.
He took the scalps of Akeem Saunders (18), Jahmar Hamilton (0), and Rakheem Cornwall (13), to catches at first slip and at the wicket respectively off deliveries which have bounce higher than they expected, while Shane Burton (20) was dismissed off a simple return catch, to reduce the tourists at 107-7.

Warde was then trapped leg before wicket, as Permaul completed his 25th five-wicket haul. He then had Gavin Tonge in similar fashion.
Play resume at 13.30hrs today.

SCOREBOARD
GUYANA JAGUARS 1st innings (Overnight 276-8)
T. Chanderpaul c wk Hamilton b Louis 6
C. Hemraj c Thomas b Cornwall 25
L. Johnson lbw b Cornwall 0
V. Singh s Thomas b Matthews 5
S. Chanderpaul lbw b Thomas 51
A. Bramble not out 196
K. Paul c Thomas b Hughes 5
S. Rutherford lbw b Cornwall 23
R. Shepherd b Tonge 22
V. Permaul lbw b Matthews 11
G. Motie st Hamilton b Warde 47
Extras: (w-2, nb-15, b-3, lb-6) 26
Total: (all out; 124.5 overs) 417
Fall of wickets:1-17, 2-21, 3-36, 4-41, 5-159, 6-164, 7-228, 8-263, 9-307, 10-417
Bowling: Tonge 18-3-74-1, Matthews 22-10-31-2, Louis 22-7-60-1, Cornwall 30-2-117-3, Warde 13.5-2-48-1, Thomas 9-0-30-1, Huges 4-0-23-1, Burton 6-0-25-0

LEEWARD ISLANDS Hurricanes 1st innings
M. Hodge b Shepherd 9
C. Hughes b Paul 10
S. Burton c&b Permaul 20
D. Thomas lbw b Shepherd 20
A. Saunders c Johnson b Permaul 18
J. Hamilton c wk Bramble b Permaul 0
T. Warde lbw b Permaul 8
R. Cornwall c wk Bramble b Permaul 13
J. Louis not out 1
G. Tonge lbw b Permaul 2
M. Matthew not out 0
Extras: (nb-5, b-8) 13
Total: (for nine wickets; 40 overs) 114
Fall of wickets:1-24, 2-26, 3-51, 4-77, 5-77, 6-89, 7-107, 8-112, 9-114
Bowling: Shepherd 8-1-29-2, Paul 9-0-35-1, Permaul 12-6-21-6, Rutherford 6-2-19-0, Motie 5-3-2-0