THE Guyana Jaguars fought back with three late wickets to restrict the Leeward Islands Hurricanes to 57-3 and leave the fifth round Cricket West Indies Regional Four-day encounter delicately poised, after the tourists spinners dominated an intriguing first day.

With 13 wickets falling on the day, the Hurricanes finished 139 runs behind the Jaguars’ modest first-innings total.

Pacers Keemo Paul and Clinton Pestano, along with left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, pegged the tourists back on a pitch that occasionally played a few tricks, claiming the scalps of Kieran Powell, Montcin Hodge and Keacy Carty.

Earlier, a combination of poor strokes and excellent spin bowling sparked a Jaguars collapse, with the home side sliding from 148-4 to 196 all out.
Off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall took 4-70 and fellow slow bowler Damion Jacobs 3-15 as the four-time defending champions lost their last six wickets for 48 runs.
Watched by another disappointing turnout of spectators, Jaguars, after winning the toss and deciding to bat, made two changes. They replaced left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie with leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo while all-rounder Christopher Barnwell came in for West Indies selectee Shimron Hetmyer.

The home team then lost the early wicket of Trevon Griffith, whose career now appears in jeopardy after yet another failure. The 27-year-old, with a modest 611 runs from 22 first-class games departed in the fifth over, caught at short extra-cover by Powell off paceman Jeremiah Louis for two.

Johnson joined Chanderpaul, and pulled Louis for a first-ball four before the duo adapted quickly to the bowler-friendly conditions, adding 65 runs for the second wicket.
Johnson in particular grew in confidence, hitting a series of well-timed boundaries, including a six off pacer Sheno Berridge, while the 22-year-old Chanderpaul was in his usual in-control factor, hitting two boundaries in his 77-ball innings before he was taken at first slip off Cornwall just before the interval.

By lunch the Jaguars were 77-2 with the left-handed Johnson on 39 and Barnwell on eight but it was only after the lunch break that Johnson’s nerves began to take hold.
The 31-year-old Johnson added just five more runs in 50 minutes after the interval before he was adjudged leg-before-wicket to Orlando Peters. At the other end, the right-handed Barnwell seemed quite at ease in the middle, hitting nine measured fours to reach his fifty off 72 balls – his tenth – in company of Anthony Bramble.

Thereafter, Jaguars played some poor cricket, losing four wickets for ten runs before the tea interval.

Barnwell played a loose drive and was caught at mid-on off leg-spinner Jacobs. Bramble (12), was trapped leg-before-wicket, sweeping to Cornwall, while Sherfane Rutherford was run-out for six and Romario Shepherd (1) was caught on the long-on boundary off Cornwall, who continued his good showing with the ball as he snared his third wicket.
Paul hit a couple boundaries on either side of the break but Jacobs claimed the wickets of Pestano (2) and Permaul (0), in the space of three balls before Cornwall ended the innings, with Paul’s wickets, 18 minutes into the final session.

Powell, the Hurricanes captain, and fellow opener Hodge were dismissed by Pestano and Paul for four and 16 respectively while Carty made 12.
Akeem Saunders (15 not out) and Terrance Warde (seven not out) had their fair share of anxious moments but the pair saw the Hurricanes through without any further hiccups.

SCOREBOARD

GUYANA JAGUARS 1st innings

1. Griffith c Powell b Louis 2
2. Chanderpaul c Powell b Cornwall 22
3. Johnson lbw b Peters 44
4. Barnwell c Powell b Jacobs 58
5. Bramble lbw b Cornwall 12
6. Rutherford run-out (Jacobs) 6
7. Shepherd c Louis b Cornwall 1
8. Paul lbw b Cornwall 32
9. Pestano lbw b Jacobs 2
10. Permaul c Cornwall b Jacobs 0
11. Bishoo not out 6

Extras: (lb-2, nb-9) 11

Total: (all out, 67.5 overs) 196

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-67, 3-113, 4-148, 5-148, 6-156, 7-158, 8-182, 9-182.

Bowling: Louis 11-3-33-1, Berridge 12-2-33-0, Conwall 21.5-6-70-4, Peters 12-4-43-1, Jacobs 11-4-15-3.

LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES

1. Powell lbw b Pestano 4
2. Hodge c Bishoo b Paul 15
3. Carty c Griffith b Permaul 12
4. Saunders not out 15
5. Warde not out 7

Extras: (b-1, lb-2) 3

Total: (three wickets, 24 overs) 57

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-26, 3-40.

Bowling: Paul 8-4-14-1, Pestano 4-1-14-1, Permaul 7-2-13-1, Bishoo 5-0-13-0.