By Brij Parasnath

SPINNERS Veerasammy Permaul, Ramaal Lewis and Ricardo Adams combined to subdue and mesmerise the Windwards Volcanoes batsmen and became the chief architects of destruction which allowed the Guyana Jaguars to stay on course for one of the semi-finalist berths with another convincing 93-run win in their Cricket West Indies (CWI) Group A  Super50 encounter at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy last evening.

It was the Guyanese third consecutive triumph in as many matches, after they succumbed to defeat to the odds-on favourite, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in their first game, and kept their winning ways by defeating the defending champions, Volcanoes, who were bowled out for 138 in 36.3 overs.

Lewis (7.3-0-25-4), Permaul (10-0-32-3), Adams (8-1-22-2) and Clinton Pestano (5-0-13-1) were Jaguars wicket-takers who proved too much for their opponents whose chances of advancing to the semi-finals seem to be in jeopardy. The Super50 crown is quietly slipping away from their grasp. 

Batting first, after being asked to take first strike by Windwards’ skipper Shane Shillingford, Guyana Jaguars were bowled out for 231 in 49 overs after openers, Trevon  Griffith and Sherfane Rutherford, had posted 121 for the first wicket stand in 17.1 overs.

Splendid half-centuries from the left-handed openers provided the Jaguars with a solid platform to push for a big total which did not materialise because of the inept batting display by the middle and lower-order batsmen who were put under intense pressure from the Windwards spinners, Larry Edwards (10-1-34-4), skipper Shane Shillingford (10-0-47-3) and Alick Athanaze (9-1-34-1) and surprisingly gifted their wickets away too easily.

Rutherford, promoted to open the innings following the departure of the inform Chandrapaul Hemraj who travelled to India with the senior West Indies ODIs squad for the five-match  series which will follow the second Test which commences today, thrilled with attacking strokes that yielded one six and ten fours off 61 balls before he was dismissed by off-spinner Shillingford for 69.

Rutherford outshone his senior partner before he was caught by Delorn Johnson off the first ball of the eighteenth over.

Griffith joined his junior partner in the pavilion when he offered Kirk Edwards a catch off the bowling of Edwards who finished with his second four-wicket haul and career best of 4 for 34.

 The leftarm orthodox spinner also picked up skipper Leon Johnson, caught and bowled for 2 (11 balls); Anthony Bramble, caught by wicketkeeper Dennis Smith for 2 (8 balls); Ricardo Adams, caught by Shillingford for 2 (7 balls).

Griffith and Christopher Barnwell had shared a 38-run (57 balls) second wicket partnership before there was a massive slide as the rest of the batting order folded up like an accordion with eight wickets going down with only 72 runs added to the overall total. Griffith made 64 that included one six and six fours off 73 balls and exited centre-stage at 159 for 2 after 26.4 overs.

Barnwell was not in rhythm and hit one six and one four in his 29 off 37 balls while Raymon Reifer did not register a single boundary in his painstaking 28 off 51 deliveries.

Reifer scored 20 singles and four doubles while there were 26 dot balls in his innings.

The pitch was on the slow side and required good footwork and technique and sensible stroke selection but those attributes were sadly lacking from among the batsmen as they succumbed in quick and dramatic fashion.