Hurricanes end campaign on high note

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Leeward Islands Hurricanes sealed only their third win of the Regional first class championship when they crushed already-crowned champions Guyana Jaguars by 10 wickets inside three days in Guyana on Sunday.
After building a first innings lead of 119 runs at the National Stadium, Hurricanes then bundled out the hosts for a paltry 143 and then easily knocked off the required 25 runs for victory.
The win was not enough, however, to lift Hurricanes off the bottom of the six-team standings as they ended the campaign on 89.2 points – almost eight points adrift of the fifth placed Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.
For their part, Jaguars finished on 134.8 points after losing only for the second time but perhaps producing their worst performance of the season.
Resuming on the penultimate day of the rescheduled ninth-round contest on 255 for seven, Hurricanes were dismissed for 306 with Jacques Taylor, unbeaten overnight on 60, top-scoring with 72.
Left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer claimed career-best figures of six for 74.
In their second turn at the crease, Jaguars fared poorly and were dismissed for a paltry 143 as fast bowler Gavin Tonge (3-33) and Man-of-the-Match off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall (3-68) destroyed the innings.
Chandrapaul Hemraj top-scored with 29, Keemo Paul got 26 and wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble, 23, but Jaguars failed to string together any meaningful partnerships.
The best was a 35-run, eighth wicket stand between Paul and Veerasammy Permaul who made 20.
Paul struck two fours and two sixes in his 79-ball knock while Permaul swung his bat to gather four boundaries in 20 off 31 balls.
Seamer Jeremiah Louis chipped in with two for 16 but it was Cornwall who stood out again, ending with match figures of nine for 136.