Regional Super50 Festival…Johnson, Paul give Jaguars exciting 16-run win despite Cornwall’s 2nd ton
Feb 05, 2018 , https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...e-cornwalls-2nd-ton/
By Sean Devers in Antigua
In association with Vnet Communications,
Bounty Farm, Noble House Seafoods &
Playter’s Enterprise
Skipper Leon Johnson was run out one short of his maiden ton before Man-of-the-Match Kemo Paul captured five wickets as Guyana Jaguars remained unbeaten after beating Leewards Hurricanes by 16 runs last night in an exciting finish to their Regional Super50 Festival top of the table clash at the Coolidge Cricket ground.
Leon Johnson cuts Rakeem Cornwall for four during his well crafted 99. (Photos by Sean Devers)
Johnson’s magnificent 99 from 95 balls with 10 fours and two sixes, powered the Jaguars to 298-8 and overshadowed a wonderful 95-ball 119 decorated with four fours and 10 sixes from Rakeem Cornwall as Paul (5-76) and Sherfane Rutherford’s 2-32 were the main wicket takers as the Hurricanes fell for 282 to suffer their first loss in the tournament.
Watched by a large crowd with plenty of Guyanese support in a festive atmosphere Johnson shared in a 125-run fourth wicket stand with Bajan Raymond Reifer (36) after Shimron Hetmyer, who stroked five fours and a six from 63 balls in an entertaining 47 had put together 50 for the second wicket with Chanderpaul Hemraj (20).
Anthony Bramble hit a typically explosive 20-ball 40 with a four and four sixes and an attacking 33 from Rutherford contributed to the Jaguars cause.
The burly Cornwall was the best of the home team’s bowlers with 1-23 from 10 overs during the runs feast.
The 24-year-old Cornwall retuned to blast his fourth hundred at this level and second in this tournament and shared in a century stand with Terrence Ward, who hit two fours and two sixes in a responsible 42 from 50 balls after opener Monchin Hodge had made 48 from 50 balls with five fours and a six.
Jaguars won the toss and batting on a slightly two-paced track and lost Shiv Chanderpaul (6) bowled by Justin Athaneze at 8-1 before Hemraj who reached the boundary three times in 20, was run out at 58-2 just when he was looking set for a big score.
Hetmyer got going with a couple of leg-side boundaries off Athaneze and pulled Sheno Berridge for a four and dumped him into the Sticky Wicket Restaurant beyond the small boundaries.
But when well set for a fifty he tried to hit left-arm Spinner Akeal Hosein for six and was taken in the deep at 85-3 before Reifer joined Johnson to stage what would eventually be a match winning stand with Reifer, in his last match before leaving for West Indies ‘A’ team duties, playing the supporting role before he fell to Cornwall at 210-4 before Johnson was run out at 250-5.
Bramble and Rutherford went after the bowlers with Bramble depositing Hosein for three sixes in a row, while Rutherford thumped the expensive Hosein for two massive sixes in one over as the Jaguars fell 28 runs short of their highest score against the Leewards when Roy Fredericks’ 119 led them to 327-7 and their first title in the 1980 final here in Antigua.
When Hurricanes began their reply they lost Keiran Powell (12) and Devon Thomas (10) as Paul struck twice before Marlon Samuels, who made a century against Jamaica, was removed by Reifer for six to leave the Hurricanes on 68-3.
Hodge and Cornwall took the score to 112 before Hodge departed to set the stage for the partnership between Cornwall and Ward which took the score from 112-4 to 243-5 before they were both removed by Paul in the space of 16 runs as the Jaguars prevailed in the end.
