THE Guyana Jaguars bowlers were able to maintain total control during the final session of play yesterday, which ultimately left the visiting Windward Islands Volcanoes with a mountain to climb, in order to save the sixth round Cricket West Indies (CWI) Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-day encounter.

At the end of day two at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, the tourists, batting a second time were 127-6, an overall lead of 50 runs.
After dismissing the Jaguars for 194 in their first innings, the strong second-innings reply the visitors expected, however, did not materialise, as an impressive Jaguars bowling attack had inflicted irreparable damage.

With the clouds gathering and the floodlights on, batting became more difficult as the three-time defending champions relentlessly pressed home their advantage.
Medium pacer Sherfane Rutherford (2-19) was the main destroyer in the Volcanoes’ second innings, while Keon Joseph, Keemo Paul, and left-arm spinners Veerasammy Permaul and Gudakesh Motie claimed a wicket apiece.

Devon Smith struggled initially, but was there at the close on 49, and was the only batsman to offer any form of resistance.
Earlier, the Jaguars’ innings was built on the back of a solid 59 from veteran West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Resuming at 78-2, the Jaguars lost both overnight batsmen inside the first ten overs of the day.

Vishaul Singh failed to add to his overnight seven when he played all around a full-length delivery from left-arm pacer Delorn Johnson in the day’s fourth over, and had his leg-stump uprooted.

The senior Chanderpaul, who is West Indies’ second most prolific Test batsman, scoring 11 867 in 164 Tests, joined his 21-year-old son; but the father-son combination was not productive after the young Chanderpaul was caught down the leg side off Shermon Lewis (3-62) for 36 off 126 balls.

Anthony Bramble (5) was then trapped lbw to Kyle Mayers (2-56) and Keemo Paul (0) succumbed moments later, when he offered a simple return catch to off-spinner Shane Shillingford (4-36). The three-time defending champions were in a tangle at 98-6.

However, the 43-year-old and Rutherford combined to steady the innings and had steered the home side to 144-6 at the lunch interval with Chanderpaul, who hit consecutive cover boundaries off Mayers at one point during that period, on 33, and the teenager on 12.
The post-lunch session saw Rutherford last seven balls before he was bowled by Shillingford for 13.

Permaul and Chanderpaul then took the score to 178, and during that period Chanderpaul brought up his half-century before a double blow from Shillingford saw the demise of Permaul (22) and Motie (0) in successive deliveries.
Mayers then removed Chanderpaul which brought an end to the innings. The visitors’ openers Devon Smith and Tyron Theophile cautiously guided their side through to tea on 24 without loss.

Theophile fell soon after the interval, caught at the wicket off Joseph for 16 while Rutherford claimed the wickets of Taryck Gabriel and Miles Bascombe. Both batsmen made nine runs.

Smith was joined by Roland Cato, but his stay was also short after he was trapped lbw to left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie for four.

Smith and Donwell Hector took the total to 102, after which Hector went lbw to Permaul for 20 while Paul bowled Mayers.
Play resumes at 09:30hrs.

SCOREBOARD
GUYANA JAGUARS 1st innings (o/n 78-2)
T. Chanderpaul c wkp. Smith b Lewis 36
C. Hemraj b Lewis 29
L. Johnson c wkp. Smith b Lewis 4
V. Singh b Johnson 7
S. Chanderpaul c Theophile b Mayers 59
A. Bramble lbw b Mayers 5
K. Paul c & b Shillingford 0
S. Rutherford b Shillingford 13
V. Permaul b Shillingford 22
G. Motie c Smith Shillingford 0
K. Joseph not out 1
Extras: (b-4, lb-6, nb-8) 18
Total: (all out, 71.4 overs) 194
Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-63, 3-80, 4-90, 5-97, 6-98, 7-154, 8-178, 9-178.
Bowling: Lewis 16-6-62-3, Johnson 15-7-19-1, Mayers 19.4-5-56-2, Shillingford 18-7-36-4, Theophile 2-1-8-0, Cato 1-0-3-0

WINDWARD ISLANDS VOLCANOES 2nd innings
D. Smith not out 49
T. Theophile c wkp. Bramble b Joseph 16
T. Gabriel b Rutherford 9
M. Bascombe lbw b Rutherford 9
R. Cato lbw b Motie 4
D. Hector lbw b Permaul 20
K. Mayers b Paul 11
Extras: (nb-1, b-5, lb-2) 8
Total: (for six wickets, 43.2 overs) 127
Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-45, 3-56, 4-71, 5-102, 6-127.
Bowling: Joseph 11-3-26-1, Paul 10.2-2-22-1, Permaul 11-0-34-1, Rutherford 6-0-19-2, Motie 5-0-19-1.