OFF-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall sparked an unusual Guyana Jaguars’ batting collapse as Leeward Islands Hurricanes took control on day one of the final round of the West Indies Cricket Board’s Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-day game at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday.
The hosts crumbled for 187 just after tea, eroded by Cornwall who grabbed his 11th five-wicket haul. The 24-year-old ripped through the batting on a pitch that offered consistent turn and bounce, with the last seven wickets tumbling for only 86 runs.
Cornwall proved the bright spot for the visitors, claiming 6-68, with only skipper Leon Johnson (33), Keemo Paul (30) and debutant Bhaskar Yadram (25), providing short resistance. Pacers Jeremiah Louis and Gavin Tonge chipped in with 2-27 and 2-37 respectively.
In reply the visitors reached 62 without loss at the close, trailing by 135 runs with all ten wickets standing.
Montcin Hodge was unbeaten on 32, while Chesney Hughes went back unconquered on 29.
Opting to bat after winning the toss, the hosts handed Yadram and left-arm spinner Anthony Adams their first-class debut.
The right-handed Yadram then took centre stage. He got off the mark with an attractive drive to the cover boundary off Louis, before rushing into the 20s, with a lovely square-cut, a drive through the covers and two classic straight boundaries off Tonge.On the other hand, fellow opener Assad Fudadin was somewhat circumspect, hitting one boundary in his 31-ball innings, but after a promising 35-run opening stand, the hapless hosts lost three quick wickets.
First-change Cornwall removed both openers, while Louis claimed the wicket of Chanderpaul Hemraj, to soft dismissals. Fudadin skied Cornwall’s first ball to cover, Yadram was taken at leg-slip while Hemraj lofted a full delivery to short mid-on.
However, Johnson who started positively, sweeping off-spinner Jacques Taylor to the fine-leg boundary, made good progress until lunch in tandem with Raymon Reifer.
But the hosts then squandered a promising position, with the continuous clatter of wickets having as much to do with undisciplined batting.
Immediately into the post-lunch session Cornwall broke the 50-run fourth-wicket stand when he had Reifer stumped before Tonge found some extra bounce to have Johnson caught at the wicket, at 101-5.
Louis then removed Anthony Bramble before Cornwall claimed the wicket of Steven Jacobs, and at tea the hosts were 165-7. After the interval, Cornwall completed his five-wicket haul, with Paul’s wicket before the innings came to an abrupt end.
Hodge and Hughes then made a solid start, and did not give any chance to the hosts’ bowlers. The pair mixed sound defence with some attractive shots.
They stroke a combination of ten boundaries, including two sixes, which came off the bat of Hughes. Play resumes today at 10:00hrs.
SCOREBOARD
GUYANA JAGUARS 1st innings
A. Fudadin c Carthy b Cornwall 6
B. Yadram c Chesney b Cornwall 25
C. Hemraj c Taylor b Louis 9
L. Johnson c wkp. Hamilton b Tonge 33
R. Reifer stp. Hamilton b Cornwall 13
A. Bramble c Cornwall b Louis 15
K. Paul c Tonge b Cornwall 30
S. Jacobs c Hodge b Cornwall 4
V. Permaul c Saunders b Tonge 12
C. Pestano c Peters b Cornwall 15
A. Adams not out 4
Extras: (nb-2, b-9, lb-10) 21
Total: (all out, 69.4 overs) 187
Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-51, 3-51, 4-101, 5-101, 6-136, 7-142, 8-165, 9-175.
Bowling: Tonge 13-4-37-2, Louis 13-5-27-2, Cornwall 26.4-11-68-6, Taylor 5-1-17-0, Berridge 3-1-14-0, Peters 2-1-5-0.
LEEWARD ISLANDS Hurricanes 1st innings
M. Hodge not out 32
C. Hughes not out 29
Extras: (nb-1) 1
Total: (no wicket, 25 overs) 62
Bowling: Refier 6-4-11-0, Pestano 4-1-17-0, Jacobs 5-1-8-0, Paul 4-2-16-0, Adams 3-1-8-0, Permaul 3-2-2-0.
