Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
Jamaica's opening batsman Donovan Pagon is beaten and bowled by Guyana's Reon King for 24 as the home team lost their first six wickets for under 50 runs in the Carib Beer match at Chedwin Park, yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
THE CARIB Beer series cricket match between Jamaica and Guyana enters its third day at Chedwin Park today with the home team on the run after another disappointing performance by their batsmen.
At stumps on yesterday's second day's play, the scoreboard read, Guyana 314, Jamaica 79 for six, with Christopher Gayle and Marlon Samuels, Donovan Pagon and Tamar Lambert, David Bernard Jr. and Carlton Baugh Jr. back in the pavilion.
Guyana's pace bowler Reon King has so far taken four for 19.
Jamaica, last year's double champions, now trailing by 235 runs, and needing at least first innings points to stay in contention for a place in the semi-finals of the Challenge Shield, are in serious trouble and no doubt hoping and praying that Wavell Hinds not out on 16 after batting for 142 minutes and facing 33 overs, and Gareth Breese not out on 12 after batting for 101 minutes and facing 25 overs, will come to their rescue, pull off a miracle, and save their skin when play resumes this morning.
Going to bat 45 minutes before tea after Guyana had added 101 runs off 42 overs for the loss of their six remaining wickets with captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul adding 26 to his overnight 48, Jamaica lost top batsman Gayle in the first over of the innings for zero at zero for one the big left-hander, playing in his first match of the competition, attempting to flick a delivery pitched outside his legstump by pacer King and edging a catch into the safe hands of Ramnaresh Sarwan at second slip.
It was 19 for two in the eighth over when, after a glorious back foot drive to the backward point boundary off Esaun Crandon, Samuels, batting at number three, went back to the pacer, played across the line, and was leg before wicket for nine.
Thirteen minutes after the interval, three deliveries after escaping a difficult chance to Sarwan at second slip, it was 37 for three in the 13th over when Pagon, also playing in his first match of the competition and after a few handsome front-foot drives, went onto his front-foot tentatively and was bowled by King for 20.
Batting on the same pitch as Guyana did, it was 45 for four in the 18th over when Lambert, on eight and going onto the front-foot, drove a return catch to right-arm legspinner Mahendra Naga-mootoo, it was 46 for five in the following over when Bernard, on one and also going forward, was bowled by King, and with the fans by then looking on in amazement, it was, in only the 99th minute of the innings, in only the 21st over of the innings, 48 for six when Baugh, on two, hooked at King and lobbed a catch to Krishna Arjune at short backward square-leg as Jamaica lost three wickets for three runs in three overs.
BATTING SENSIBLY
Fortunately for Jamaica, captain Hinds and former captain Breese, batting sensibly and without flourish, stepped into the breach and stopped the slide with an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 31 off 25 overs.
Resuming at 213 for four off 90 overs, Guyana, continuing their cautious batting, looked set to build a huge total before, after adding 47 runs in 28 overs, Travis Dowlin, eight overnight, drove lavishly at offspinner Gareth Breese, edged a catch to Gayle at slip and departed the scene for 30 at 260 for five.
At lunch, Guyana were 282 for five off 119 overs, and with Chanderpaul on 70, with Darwin Christian on 10, and with both batsmen looking comfortable against all the Jamaica bowlers, the visitors once again appeared set to bat on and on.
Twelve minutes after the interval, however, Breese flattened Christian's offstump when, after playing back three times, after ignoring Chanderpaul's advice to play forward, the batsman went back to the next delivery, attempted to play through the onside and was bowled by a straight delivery at 286 for six.
Summarised scores: Guyana 314 (Sewnarine Chattergoon 75, Shivnarine Chanderpaul 75, Ramnaresh Sarwan 30, Travis Dowlin 30, Narsingh Deonarine 16, Derwin Christian 14, Krishna Arjune 13; Darren Powell 3-45, Gareth Breese 3-67)
Jamaica 79-6: (Donovan Pagon 24, Wavell Hinds 16 not out, Gareth Breese 12 not out; Reon King 4-19).
