By Sean Devers
GUYANA Harpy Eagles were in the driver’s seat against Jamaica Scorpions at the end of the second day of their fourth round West Indies four-day Championships which ended yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.

An unfinished fifth wicket stand of 105 between Tagenarine Chanderpaul, unbeaten on 60 from 162 balls, 189 minutes with nine boundaries and Tevin Imlach, whose undefeated 50 has so far lasted 92 balls and 132 minutes and has included five fours, along with a fourth five-wicket haul from fast bowler Nial Smith has put leaders Guyana in control

Guyana resumed on 268-9 and were bowled out for 278 in 10 balls when Nial Smith was bowled for a duck by Marquino Mindley.

However, there was enough time for Johnson, overnight on 142 to reach 150 with a whip off his hip and a gorgeous cut for boundaries off Green.

His third 150 score (165 in 2018 & 189 in 2020) lasted 254 balls, 338 minutes and included 18 boundaries.

Mindley had 3-34 while Ojay Shields and Derval Green had two wickets each for Jamaica who were dismissed for 115 after being 24-6 at one stage.

Jamaica were 64-9 before Green, who hit four fours in 42 from 89-balls, shared in a 51-run last wicket stand with Nicolas Gordon, who was not out on 22 with four fours; the 51-run partnership lasted one hour as the Guyanese lacked the knock-out punch.

Smith had 5-39, Veerasammy Permaul took 3-22 and Ronsford Beaton supported with 2-22
Guyana in their second innings, after surprisingly opting not to enforce the follow-on, were 138-4 at stumps on a day in which 15 wickets tumbled.

When Jamaica began their reply, a fair size gathering watched in delight as Smith, steaming in from the northern end, left them wobbling on the ropes on 18-4.

Tevin Gilzene was bowled for a duck at 5-1 before Nkrumah Bonner (4), Jermaine Blackwood (0) and Paul Palmer (0) all fell with the score on 18 while Beaton got rid of Leroy Lugg (16) and Aldaine Thomas for a duck and Jamaica were 24-6.

Back in 1985, at the Sabina Park in Jamaica, Guyana were blown away for 41 by Jamaica and the fans in the stands old enough will remember the humiliation they felt and was maybe hoping for a similar total for the lads from the land of Wood and Water.

Abhijai Mansingh (8) and Green ensured their team passed Guyana’s lowest First-Class total by posting the 50 from 76 balls before Permaul, who broke Nakita Millers’ record for most regional First-Class wickets in the last round in Trinidad, removed Mansingh at 54-5.

Permaul, watched by Miller who is a part of the Jamaica ‘Think tank’ quickly removed Shields (7) and Mindley (3) to leave Jamaica on 64-9, thirty minutes before the scheduled Lunch break.

But Green and Gordon, in a frustrating last wicket stand, not only batted time but together they hit eight boundaries in their stand which resulted in 30 minutes being added to first session since the last pair were at the crease and by lunch, in sweltering heat, Jamaica were 103-9.

After Lunch, Test spinners Permaul and Gudakesh Motie, bowling in tandem, could not end the innings, prompting the ‘old stagers’ present to remark that this would have never happened with Clive Lloyd’s team of the 80s which possessed the killer instinct which was missing from the Guyanese yesterday.

The ball was eventually tossed to Smith who induced Green to edge a catch to first slip where Johnson, enjoying the best period in his recent career, gleefully took his third catch of the day for Smith, who plays for Tucber Park in Berbice to capture his fourth five-wicket haul in 15th outing at this level.

Guyana, with a lead of 163, had an inauspicious start to their second innings as Mindley bowled Matthew Nandu for a duck before Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kevlon Anderson, (22) who hit four fours including a sublime cover drive followed by an elegant on-drive for boundaries in the same over from Mindley, took the score to 27.

A beauty from Mindley moved away from Anderson’s forward defensive push to rattle the stumps.

Mindley then trapped Kemol Savory (1) at 31-1 before first innings centurion, Johnson (2) was caught by the keeper off a rebound from the shoes of the fielder at second slip and, by tea, Guyana were 37-4

After the break, Imlach joined Chanderpaul and the pair orchestrated ‘operation re-build’ with Chanderpaul stroking the ball past cover with a scintillating drive before effortlessly caressing Blackwood for a glorious four while hitting Shields for consecutive fours.

Chanderpaul reached his 50 from 127 balls with seven fours while Imlach got to his fifty from 92 balls with four boundaries

Today is the third day and play is scheduled to start at 10:00hrs.

Scoreboard O/N 268-9
Leon Johnson not out 150
Nial Smith b Mindley 0
Extras 25 (b-8, lb-9, nb-8)
Total 278
FoW: 1, 4, 26, 55, 181, 199, 206, 223, 268, 278
Bowling
Mindley 14.1-4-34-3, Gordon 13-4-40-1,
Green 17-1-43-2, Shields 15-1-66-2,
Blackwood 8-2-19-1, Mansingh 22-0-59-1
Jamaica 1st Inns
Leroy Lugg c wkp Bramble b Beaton 16
Tevin Gilzene b Smith 0
Nkrumah Bonner b Smith 4
Jermaine Blackwood c Johnson b Smith 0
Paul Palmer c Johnson b Smith 0
Abhijai Mansingh wkp Imlach b Permaul 8
Aldane Thomas c wkp Bramble b Beaton 0
Derval Green c Johnson b Smith 42
Ojay Shields c wkp Imlach b Permaul 7
Marquino Mindley c Anderson b Permaul 3
Nicolson Gordon not out 22
Extras 16 (lb-8, nb-8)
Total 115 in 35.5 overs
FoW: 5, 18, 18, 18, 24, 54, 64, 64, 115,
Bowling
Beaton 7-1-22-2, Smith 7.5-5-39-5,
Permaul 11-3-22-3, Motie 10-0-24-0
Guyana 2nd inns
Mathew Nandu b Mindley 0
Tagenarine Chanderpaul not out 60
Kevlon Anderson b Mindley 22
Kemol Savory LBW b Mindley 1
Leon Johnson c wkp Thomas 2
Tevin Imlach not out 50
Extras 3 (b-2, lb-1)
Total 138-4
FoW: 0, 27, 31, 33,
Mindley 11-1-30-4, Gordon 9-4-14-0
Green 10-0-31-0, Shields 2-0-13-1,
Mansingh 9-2-19-0, Blackwood 10-0-9-0