Half-centuries from the Berbice pair of Narsingh Deonarine (69) and Sewnarine Chattergoon (68) failed to prevent Guyana from being dismissed for 221 just before the close of play on the first day of their four-day Carib Beer regional first-class, cricket encounter against Jamaica yesterday at Sabina Park.
The pair shared in a 103-run, fourth-wicket stand but no one else reached 17 as medium pacer David Bernard (3-41) left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham (2-38) and off-spinner Gareth Breeze (2-39) did the damage with the ball for the home team.
Jamaica in reply, were four without loss from one over with Brenton Parchment (4) and Keith Hibert (0) the not out batsmen. Jamaica need another 218 runs for first innings points with all of their wickets intact going into the second day today.
By lunch Guyana, who won the toss and elected to bat on a good track in blazing sunshine, reached 65-3 with Chattergoon batting through the entire session to finish unbeaten on 29.
His Albion club-mate Deonarine was not out on six at the interval after the pair had joined forces at 49-3 when Lennox Cush had his stumps disturbed by Bernard for 13. Cush's 12-ball innings included a six off Cunningham.
Guyana started badly when opener Azeemul Haniff (3) again failed to get going and, beaten for pace, had his middle stump uprooted by Andrew Richardson at 12-1.
Krishna Arjune who hit 97 against Barbados in his last innings, was trapped LBW to the impressive Bernard who was warned for running on the pitch by the umpire, to leave Guyana on 34-2.
After lunch a small crowd, which included several school children, saw Guyana, whose first 50 came up in 84 minutes, reach the 100-run mark from 170 minutes on the lush green outfield after Deonarine was hit on the helmet twice by the aggressive Richardson.
Deonarine's confidence grew as his innings progressed along with Chattergoon, who looked very compact with the Jamaican fielders failing to offer the type of support their bowlers expected at this level.
Chattergoon soon reached his seventh regional first-class fifty but was dropped by Perry at first slip on 51 at 120-3 off Bernard, who also bowled Chattergoon with a no-ball at 142-3.
The unlucky Bernard who played a solitary test match for the West Indies against Australia in Trinidad last year then saw Perry at square-leg put down Deonarine off his bowling on 39 at 139-3.
Perry, who will be 36 this year and is still showing the effects of his recent knee operation, finally had something to smile about when he induced Chattergoon to edge a cut to 'keeper Hibert to leave Guyana on 152-4 just before tea. Chattergoon's 68 lasted 228 minutes, 160 balls and included four boundaries.
At tea the South Americans were 160-4 with Deonarine not out on 52, his sixth regional first-class fifty. Travis Dowlin who scored 48 and 50 the last time he batted at Sabina Park, was with him yet to come off the mark.
After the break Dowlin played a savage straight drive off Perry for four but was soon given out caught behind sweeping at Cunningham for nine as Guyana, who enjoyed a good second session, lost a wicket early in the post tea period with the score 172-5. Dowlin seemed a bit unlucky, as the ball appeared to come off his thigh pad.
Vishal Nagamootoo joined Deonarine who was not afraid to go over the top to the spinners. The pair carried Guyana to 191 before Deonarine was brilliantly caught by a diving Bernard at backward point to give Cunningham his first wicket.
Deonarine reached the boundary eight times and cleared it once in his innings that lasted 202 minutes and 168 balls.
Mahendra Nagamootoo joined his younger brother Vishal who was soon run out for nine attempting a suicidal single to point as Guyana slipped to 194-7.
Skipper Breeze then struck a double blow in the last 20 minutes of the day when, with the score on 216, he got rid of Nagamootoo (10) and Rayon Griffith (0) in two balls.
He was, however, denied the chance to join Franklyn Rose (against Barbados in 2000) as the only Jamaican bowler with hat tricks in regional first-class cricket when Reon Thomas blocked the next ball.
Skipper Neil McGarrell was left not out on 16 when Thomas was LBW to Richardson for a duck as Guyana were all out 14 minutes before the close.
Jamaica played an unchanged team from the one which lost first innings to the Windwards in the first round while Guyana left out injured fast bowler Esuan Crandon and Andre Percival.
McGarrell who was also left unbeaten on 21 in Barbados, said he was disappointed with yesterday's performance and felt that the batsmen are losing their wickets when set and not carrying on to get big scores.
"Deonarine and Chattergoon both played well but when you get to 60 you should go on to get a hundred unless you get an unplayable ball and that is not happening. Dowlin was a bit unlucky but our batters need to put down their head and make the bowlers work a lot harder for their wickets" McGarrell told Stabroek Sports.
Today is the second day and play is scheduled to commence at 10:AM (11:AM Guyana time).