DESPITE resilient half-centuries from Jermaine Blackwood and Chadwick Walton, the Jamaica Franchise team crumbled to the spin combination of Veerasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo on the first day of their eighth-round West Indies Cricket Board/Professional Cricket League Regional four-day match at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, yesterday.Winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Jamaicans, who left out Cassius Burton and Gavan Brown from their starting 11, were bowled out for 246 off 80.3 overs, with Walton top-scoring with 58 while Blackwood contributed an attacking 54.

Left-arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul along with his spin-twin Devendra Bishoo continued to torment Regional batsmen, with Permaul picking up 5 for 77 and Bishoo 4 for 62 for the Guyanese who left out Raymon Reifer and Keon Joseph for this encounter.
At the close of play, the hosts who lead the points table with 107 points, reached 35 without loss, with Assad Fudadin and Rajendra Chandrika unbeaten on 18 and 16 respectively, with both batsmen touching the boundary ropes three times.
Earlier, the teams were forced to wait 12 minutes before taking the field, as a brief shower forced the groundsmen to cover the pitch before the first ball was bowled and when play got under way at 10:12hrs, Christopher Barnwell struck in the second over, when Shacaya Thomas (1) was caught at gully by Vishaul Singh off Barnwell at 1 for 1.
Blackwood and John Campbell restored pride to the Jamaicans’ batting, by adding 87 for the second wicket, with Blackwood hitting Barnwell back over his head for 4, followed by a streaky outside edge off Ronsford Beaton, with the ball going through the slips cordon to third man.
Blackwood continued to take a liking to Barnwell, by hitting him over Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who got fingertips to the ball at mid-on, before it trickled into the boundary, while Campbell struck Narsingh Deonarine twice over long on for six.
Blackwood got to his half-century at 84 for 1, facing 45 balls while batting for 58 minutes and hitting nine fours, before he was caught at the wicket by Anthony Bramble off Permaul for 54 at 88 for 2.
Campbell followed 12 minutes before lunch, caught by Rajendra Chandrika at forward short leg for 48 (69 balls, 4×4, 2×6) at 109 for 3, while the Jamaicans took the lunch break at 113 for 3 with Tamar Lambert and Walton unbeaten on 6 and 4 respectively.
Lambert and Walton added 76 for the fourth wicket, before Lambert who hit Bishoo back over long on for six, was caught by Chanderpaul at deep mid-off, when he looked to clear that area off Permaul at 185 for 4, 25 minutes before tea.
Unlike Campbell, Walton got his half-century when he steered Beaton to third man for his seventh four scored off 86 deliveries while batting for 115 minutes as Jamaica took the tea break on 219 for 4, following which, Walton struck the first ball from Permaul for four.
However, the bowler had the last laugh, when Walton became his 50th victim for this season, palpably struck lbw at 230 for 5, followed by King who was brilliantly stumped by Bramble off Bishoo three runs later for 27 (4×4, 1×6).
David Bernard Jr replaced Walton but went in similar fashion to King off Bishoo at 236 for 7 which soon became 258 all out, following the demise of Damian Jacobs (6) and Marquino Mindley (4), who were both dismissed by Bishoo, while Permaul induced Jason Dawes (13) to play one back onto his stumps, as Jamaica lost their last six wickets for 39 runs after tea.

SCORECARD

JAMAICA Franchise 1st innings
S. Thomas c Singh b Barnwell 1
J. Campbell c Chandrika b Permaul 48
J. Blackwood c wkp. Bramble b Permaul 54
T. Lambert c S. Chanderpaul b Permaul 34
C. Walton lbw b Permaul 58
B. King stp. wkp. Bramble b Bishoo 27
D. Bernard stp. wkp. Bramble b Bishoo 1
D. Jacobs lbw b Bishoo 6
J. Dawes b Permaul 13
M. Mindley c wkp. Bramble b Bishoo 4
O. Browne not out 00
Extras: (b-6, lb-6) 12
Total: (all out, off 80.3 overs) 258
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-88, 3-109, 4-185, 5-230, 6-233, 7-236, 8-241, 9-258.
Bowling: Beaton 12-1-45-0, Barnwell 4-1-28-1, Deonarine 8-0-34-0, Permaul 31.3-8-77-5, Bishoo 25-7-62-4.
GUYANA Jaguars 1st innings
R. Chandrika not out 16
A. Fudadin not out 18
Extras: (nb-1) 1
Total: (without loss, off 9 overs) 35
Bowling: Mindley 4-1-17-0, Dawes 4-1-13-0 (nb-1), Bernard 1-0-5-0.