Permaul puts Jaguars on course for victory, Hurricanes eye first innings lead over Volcanoes
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Trinidad & Tobago Red Force captain Denesh Ramdin became the first batsman to hit a hundred in the new Digicel Regional 4-Day Championship season on Friday.
The former Windies captain hit 101 to lead the Red Force batting on the second day of their day/night, pink-ball, first-round match at Kensington Oval.
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At the Guyana National Stadium, a destructive spell of left-arm spin from Veerasammy Permaul put reigning three-time champions Guyana Jaguars on track for their seventh straight victory over Jamaica Scorpions.
And half-centuries from Chesney Hughes and Keacy Carty anchored Leeward Islands Hurricanes to within two runs of a first innings lead over Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Grenada National Stadium.
In Bridgetown, Barbados: Ramdin announced his return to the Championship for the first time in three years with a languid, 13th first-class career hundred that drove the Red Force to a first innings total of 300.
He cut a delivery from left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican to square third man for the last of his 14 fours to reach his landmark from 159 balls before he was dismissed from the next delivery. He also passed the milestone of 6,000 first-class career runs.
Ramdin shared 126 for the fourth wicket with Ewart Nicholson, following an opening stand of 62 between Jeremy Solozano and fellow left-handed opener Amir Jangoo
Nicholson made an enterprising 74 and Solozano scored a boundary-studded 54.
Warrican collected 4-67 from 27.1 overs and fast-medium bowler Justin Greaves the same figures off 18 overs.
In reply, Pride reached 42 for one at the close.
In Providence, Guyana: Permaul captured 6-29 from 19.5 overs, as the Scorpions were bowled out for 99 to surrender a 167-run, first-innings lead.
It was an extra-special performance for Permaul. When he dismissed Derval Green to bring the Scorpions’ innings to a close, it was his 400th first-class wicket.
Guyana-born left-hander Assad Fudadin made the top score of 39 and Scorpions captain Paul Palmer added 31. They shared 57 for the fourth wicket, but the rest of the batting collapsed.
The Scorpions bounced back before the close, but Jaguars still held all the aces, reaching 106 for four in their second innings – for an overall lead of 273.
In St. George’s, Grenada: Left-hander Hughes, who played for Derbyshire in the English County Championship, made 89 and Carty, the Player-of-the-Match in the 2016 ICC Youth World Cup final which West Indies Under-19s won, stroked 72, as the Hurricanes reached 231 for four in their first innings at the close, replying to the Volcanoes’ first innings total of 233.
Hughes and Carty put on 151 for the first wicket, but they were wiped away, as the Volcanoes claimed four wickets for 30 runs in the space of 79 deliveries in the final session to knock the wind out of the Hurricanes.