By Rajiv Bisnauth

A GUTSY 113-run partnership between Vishual Singh and Veerasammy Permaul rescued the Guyana Jaguars from a perilous position as the hosts battled to 204-7 on the first day of their sixth-round West Indies Cricket Board’s Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-Day game against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.The left-handed Singh, who batted with typical aplomb, mixing sound defence with aggression, has hardly played a false stroke in 196 minutes at the crease, scored his sixth First-Class fifty, and is unbeaten on 88 off 159 balls with 12 boundaries. Devendra Bishoo is the other not-out batsman on two.
Permaul made 47, as the pair undertook a salvage operation after they had been thrust together with the Jaguars in deep trouble at 85-6.
The duo, who came to the crease before tea, never looked troubled throughout their time in the middle. The partnership ensured the hosts ended the day with a marginal point’s victory after winning the toss and deciding to bat.
Earlier rain delayed the start of play by 20 minutes under overcast conditions.
The Jaguars omitted opener Robin Bacchus and fast bowler Ronsford Beaton from the playing X1.
The openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Rajendra Chandrika motored along as the right-hander Chandrika found the pitch and the attack to his liking, hitting three fours, two off Rayad Emrit and the other off Marlon Richards, but Emrit (2-41) swung the momentum the visitors’ way with the wickets of both openers in helpful conditions.
Emrit made full use of the overcast conditions, bowling an impeccable line and length to extract movement off the pitch.
He first clean-bowled Chandrika for 15, and then had Chanderpaul, who took 24 balls to get going in similar fashion for a 27-ball three.
Test players Assad Fudadin and Leon Johnson joined forces as batting conditions remained tricky under a heavily overcast sky on a pitch with occasional variable bounce.
Fudadin hit off-spinner Jon Russ Jagessar for two sixes in his 18 before he was bowled by Richards on the stroke of lunch. Johnson was unbeaten on 11.
The Jaguars had begun the post-lunch session brightly amid overcast conditions. Singh, who resumed with Johnson, greeted Jagessar with two boundaries, before another rain squall saw the players leave the field after just 16 minutes of play.
Upon resumption, the Red Force capitalised on a needless run-out. Johnson hit the ball towards mid-on and darted off for a run but only to stop in the middle of the pitch after Singh refused to take the single, and the Jaguars skipper was stranded by Richard’s throw to the striker’s end.
With Johnson looking disconsolate at his dismissal, the Jaguars then slipped to 85-6 with Richards, who impressed with his steady line and length trapping wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble leg-before-wicket, while the debutant Jagessar (1-51) removed Raymon Reifer in similar manner.
The diminutive Singh and Permaul went ahead with the repair act cleverly, by stealing the odd singles and punishing the loose deliveries for boundaries, and by the interval the Jaguars were 126-6, with Singh on 42 and Permaul on 17.
Singh then brought up his half-century with his seventh boundary. However, with no demons in the pitch, the pair were able to bat the Jaguars out of trouble. The hosts’ cause was helped by a wicket that became totally unresponsive at the latter part of the day, allowing the batsmen more time to place the ball.
However, a lapse of concentration saw Permaul taken at the wicket off Richards, who finished the day with figures of 3-31. Permaul’s innings spanned 94 balls, inclusive of five boundaries.
Singh and Bishoo batted through to the close in fading light before the umpires decided it was too dark to continue. Play was called off 40 minutes before the schedule cut-off time.
Play continues today at 09:30hrs and admission to the venue is free.

GUYANA JAGUARS first innings
T. Chanderpaul b R. Emrit 3
R. Chandrika b R. Emrit 15
A. Fudadin b Richards 18
L. Johnson run-out (Richards) 23
V. Singh not out 88
A. Bramble lbw b Richards 1
R. Reifer lbw b Jagessar 1
V. Permaul c wkp. b Richards 47
D. Bishoo not out 2
Extras: (lb-6) 6
Total: (for seven wickets, 71.4 overs) 204
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-18, 3-47, 4-73, 5-84, 6-85, 7-198,
Bowling: R. Emrit 14-6-41-2, M. Richards 17-6-31-3, J. Jagessar 21.4-6-54-1, N. Deonarine 7-1-17-0, I. Khan 9-1-42-0, J. Mohammed 3-0-13-0