Permaul rips apart Scorpions to give Jaguars edge

FLORENCE HALL, Jamaica, CMC – Veerasammy Permaul’s 28th five-wicket haul in first class cricket helped cripple Jamaica Scorpions on the opening day of the sixth round encounter here yesterday.

The 30-year-old left-arm spinner snared seven for 59 as the hosts, sent in at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium, were dismissed for a disappointing 216 in their first innings.

Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood top-scored with 59 – his third half-century in four innings – while wicketkeeper Denis Smith chipped in with 23 but no other Scorpions batsman passed 20.

At the close, Guyana Jaguars were yet to get off the mark in the two overs available to them. With impressive victories in their last two outings, Scorpions started strongly when captain John Campbell (20) and Alwyn Williams (12) put on 40 for the first wicket.

Left-arm pacer Raymon Reifer got the breakthrough when he squared up the left-handed Campbell and had him caught at the wicket, a dismissal which sparked a slide that saw three wickets fall for 20 runs.

Williams followed in the next over, losing his offstump to Permaul after missing a forward defensive prod and Paul Palmer was also bowled by the same bowler for four, driving at a good length delivery.

Blackwood then came to his side’s rescue, posting 58 for the fourth wicket with Nkrumah Bonner (15) to take Scorpions to lunch at 80 for three.

Afterwards, Blackwood paired with Smith to put on another 38 for the fifth wicket before becoming Permaul’s fourth wicket in the sixth over after tea, lbw pushing forward to a straightish delivery at 156 for five.

There was no recovery for Scorpions, however, as they lost their last five wickets for just 44 runs.