THE Guyana Jaguars managed to stretch their lead to 97 at stumps on day two of the fifth round West Indies Four-day championship encounter against the visiting Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul survived off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall’s relentless spin onslaught to remain unbeaten on 15 from 104 balls in just over two hours at the crease while Christopher Barnwell is yet to score when rain brought a premature end with the four-time defending champions ending the day at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, on 76-2.

Earlier pacers Romario Shepherd and Clinton Pestano produced two inspired spells of bowling which eventually gave the Jaguars a slim lead.
On a pitch offering some assistance to the pacers on both sides, the Berbician duo broke the back of the Volcanoes’ middle-order batting line-up with Shepherd finishing with splendid figures of 3-31 off ten overs while Pestano, who had a wicket late on day one, ended with 4-50.

Some injudicious shot-making from the remaining Hurricanes batsmen saw the visiting team dismissed for 175 inside 59 overs.
Resuming at 57-3, 139 runs behind the Jaguars’ modest first-innings total of 196, they progressed to 77 without much difficulty before rain intervened for a short period of time.
But upon resumption both Akeem Saunders (28) and Terrance Warde (30) helped themselves with a few boundaries which carried their partnership to 57. At that point Shepherd and Pestano utilised the overcast conditions to their advantage, claiming five wickets for 19 runs just before the lunch interval.

It started when the strongly-built Shepherd, with a probing line outside off stump, induced Saunders into an edge behind.

At the other end, Pestano also discovered some movement to send back Warde leg-before-wicket while Jason Peters (0), was out in a similar fashion in successive deliveries.
The 24-year-old Shepherd continued his inspired spell of fast bowling when he removed both Orlando Peters (8), and Jeremiah Louis (0), lbw, to leave the visitors on 116-8 at lunch.

The post-lunch session saw the right-handed Cornwall hitting six fours in his 29 while Damion Jacobs also struck six boundaries in his unbeaten 34 but their chance of getting any closer to the Jaguars’ first innings evaporated midway the session.
The 26-year-old Pestano bowled Cornwall after he had faced 34 balls while leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo chipped in with the final wicket of Sheno Berridge.

The home team began their second innings with a 21-run lead and a 57-run first-wicket partnership between 22-year-old Chanderpaul and Trevon Griffith. The two batsmen took different approaches to their innings with Chanderpaul, the more reserved, while the 27-year-old Griffith played the more attacking style.

The opening pair frustrated the bowling unit for the remainder of the session. A few minutes into the final the tourists did enjoy a brief period of success. Cornwall (2-22), then trapped Griffith lbw for 37 with six boundaries before he bowled Leon Johnson for 15.
Play is set to resume at 09:00hrs today.

SCOREBOARD

LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES innings (overnight 57-3)
K. Powell lbw b Pestano 4
M. Hodge c Bishoo b Paul 15
K. Carty c Griffith b Permaul 12
A. Saunders c wkp. Bramble b Shepherd 28
T. Warde lbw b Pestano 30
R. Cornwall b Pestano 29
J. Peters lbw b Pestano 0
O. Peters lbw b Shepherd 8
J. Louis lbw b Shepherd 0
D. Jacobs not out 34
S. Berridge c wkp. Bramble b Bishoo 2
Extras: (b-1, lb-9, nb-2) 12
Total: (all out, 58.1 overs) 175
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-26, 3-40, 4-97, 5-97, 6-97, 7-106, 8-116, 9-138.
Bowling: Paul 17-4-43-1, Pestano 13-3-50-4, Permaul 10-3-18-1, Bishoo 8.1-1-25-1, Shepherd 10-3-31-4.
GUYANA JAGUARS 2nd innings
T. Chanderpaul not out 15
T. Griffith lbw b Cornwall 37
L. Johnson b Cornwall 15
C. Barnwell not out 0
Extras: (1-b, 4-lb, 4-nb) 9
Total: (for two wkts, 33 overs) 76
Fall of wickets: 1-57, 2-74.
Bowling: Louis 8-3-19-0, Berridge 5-3-16-0, Cornwall 12-6-22-2, Warde 1-1-0-0, Peters 7-3-14-0.