GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Emerging leg spinner Gudakesh Motie unleashed his best bowling effort in only his second first class match as Guyana Jaguars continue to stamp their authority over Leeward Islands Hurricanes on the third day of their second round match in the Regional First Class Championship at the National Stadium at Providence here on Sunday.
Motie, 20, produced a six wicket haul that destroyed the Hurricanes first innings for a paltry 85 runs, 334 runs short of Guyana’s mammoth first innings total of 419 for nine declared.
However half centuries from Nkrumah Bonner and Daron Cruickshank inspired a courageous fight back, lifting the visitors to 215 for three in their second innings, after Jaguars enforced the follow on.
Still, Leewards trail by 119 runs with seven second innings wickets in hand and are likely to play for a draw when the match enters its final day on Monday.
The visitors were unable to recover from their overnight score of 48 for four and only succeeded in adding 37 runs before losing the remaining six wickets ahead of the lunch break.
Motie, the former West Indies under 19 player, picked his way through the Leewards fragile batting line-up, snatching up two wickets when the score was on 26 and another two with the score on 84, to finish with six wickets, conceding 20 runs from 13.2 overs, seven of which were maidens.
Opener Sherwin Peters with a top score of 28 and Captain Steve Liburd who scored 23 were the only batsmen to score more than 11 runs.
Facing a huge first innings deficit, Leewards gave a better account of themselves in the second innings which started before lunch.
A carefully compiled 57 from Cruickshank, an aggressive 58 from Bonner and three half century partnerships, scripted a solid second innings response.
A stubborn opening stand of 50 between Peters (39) and Shane Jeffers (31) was early indication that Leewards had not yet thrown in the towel.
Jeffers was severe on Ronsford Beaten but the Guyanese pacer got his revenge by uprooting his stump to end the opening stand.
Cruickshank, batted for 11 minutes, faced 83 balls and scored nine fours before he was trapped lbw to Motie.
He and Peters consolidated with a second wicket stand of 65.
Bonner, who has already hit nine fours and a six for his unbeaten 58 and Orlando Peters, 25 not out, have already complied 80 runs for the third wicket.