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Singh, Hemraj lead the way for Jaguars

Published:Saturday | February 29, 2020 | 12:00 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
Guyana Jaguars batsman Chanderpaul Hemraj hits through the onside during his half-century against the Jamaica Scorpions at the Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium yesterday.

Half-centuries from Vishaul Singh and Chanderpaul Hemraj allowed the Guyana Jaguars to maintain their advantage over the Jamaica Scorpions after play on day two of their four-day West Indies Championship encounter at the Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium.

When stumps were drawn, the Jaguars who resumed on zero without loss, replying to the Scorpions 216, were 287 for six, a lead of 71 runs.

Singh, who passed 3000 runs in first-class cricket during his innings, will resume on today’s third day seven runs short of what would be a well-deserved century while Kevin Sinclair is not out on 20, this against three wickets for Dennis Bulli and two for Patrick Harty.

Earlier, the Scorpions came out with positive intent. However, that positivity was short-lived after the team’s main strike bowler Nicholson Gordon went down with a groin injury in the second over of the day.

His absence did not deter the Scorpions, as replacement seamer Alwyn Williams made the breakthrough when he sent back Tagenarine Chanderpaul with a beauty which rattled his stumps for eight with just 21 runs on the board.

Skipper Leon Johnson then joined Hemraj and the pair bunkered down to take the visitors to lunch at 75 for one with Hemraj on 31 and Johnson on 34.

On the resumption, the Scorpions would break the 60-run partnership as Johnson was outfoxed by Dennis Bulli and was stumped by wicketkeeper Denis Smith for 35 with the Jaguars on 81 for two.

One left-hander replaced another as Singh then joined Hemraj and the pair shared in the biggest partnership of the day to propel the visitors to a commanding position.

The pair utilised their feet well against the Jamaican spinners and conjured up a 98-run third wicket partnership which knocked the stuffing out of the hosts.

Lengthy partnership

During that lengthy partnership, Hemraj brought up his tenth first-class half-century, however, when he got to 82, he flashed at one outside off stump and was caught at slip by Jermaine Blackwood off Patrick Harty. His knock included three fours and three sixes in 173 balls.

Two balls later, Harty would pick up his second wicket in the over, as he had Christopher Barnwell caught at cover for nought at 179 for four.

Singh would bide his time and tick away at the runs to bring up his 17th first-class half-century as the diminutive left-hander shared in two other useful partnerships in the final session to take the Jaguars past the Scorpions total.

He added 34 with Raymon Reifer and then 32 with Anthony Bramble before Dennis Bulli returned to claim the scalp of both Reifer and Bramble for 16 and 25, respectively.

In fading light, Singh inched his way to 93 from 171 balls with seven fours and Sinclair was not out on 20.