WICB Regional Four-Day Tournament…Baugh rescues Jamaica with unbeaten 78 despite Joseph burst

By Rajiv Bisnauth –

Carlton Baugh came to Jamaica’s rescue on Wednesday and produced an unbeaten half-century which guided his team to 204 for 9 before bad light stopped play on day one of their West Indies Cricket Board Regional Four-Day encounter against Guyana at the National Stadium, Providence.
Baugh’s unbeaten 78 ensured a score of some respectability after fast bowler Keon Joseph had left the Jamaica top order in tatters.
Sheldon Cotterell is the other not out batsman on three.
Earlier, Tamar Lambert’s decision to bat first backfired badly as the Jamaicans top order were unable to cope with the pace and bounce of a lively Providence pitch.
Joseph did the bulk of the damage while his fellow paceman Ronsford Beaton chipped in with a wicket as the visitors slipped to 23 for 4 in a rain-shortened morning session.
Danza Hyatt (0) Brenton Parchment (1), Nkrumah Bonner (1) and Tamar Lambert (0) did not have a long stay at the wicket.
Joseph struck in his second over when he had Hyatt caught at short mid wicket by Veerasammy Permaul.
Parchment had a lucky escape when Fudadin dropped him at third slip off the first ball of Joseph’s second over.
But the determined Joseph then struck with his first ball in his fourth over when he had Parchment caught at second slip by Steven Jacobs.
Beaton then dismissed Bonner caught behind by wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble before Lambert was bowled by Joseph.
The second session saw Jermaine Blackwood and David Bernard Jr meshing together a stubborn 46-run fifth wicket. But the session got worse for the Jamaicans when both were dismissed at 88. Blackwood was trapped leg before wicket to Permaul for 37 while Bernard Jr was stumped off Bishoo for 29.
Baugh Jr and Nikita Miller then took the score to 150-6 at tea with Baugh unbeaten on 54 and Miller was 25 not out. Baugh had earlier raised his half-century off 83 balls.
The pair then added 27 more runs after the interval when Miller departed, leg before wicket to Steven Jacobs for 42. The pair shared a seventh-wicket partnership of 89.
Jamaica then lost Andrew Richardson (1) and Odean Brown (7) in quick succession; both were leg before wicket to Bishoo.
For the Guyanese, Joseph finished the day with figures of 3 for 49, Bishoo, 3 for 51 while there is a wicket apiece for Beaton, Permaul and Jacobs.