Champions Guyana Jaguars have now assumed pole position in their hunt for the three-peat in the Digicel regional four-day competition after charging to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over hosts Jamaica Scorpions in their top-of-the-table clash at Sabina Park yesterday.

Needing a further 103 runs with eight wickets intact in search of 182, the Jaguars led by a solid half-century knock by left-hander Vishaul Singh, hardly broke a sweat in surpassing their target before lunch on yesterday’s final day.

Singh was left unbeaten on 63 and Raymond Reifer on 37, as the duo constructed a match-winning fourth-wicket partnership of 78 runs in condemning the Scorpions to their second defeat of the season.

The Jaguars are now just about sitting on 82.6 points, with the Scorpions on 71.6 points.

Scores: Scorpions 255 (70.3 overs) and 188 (62.2 overs); Jaguars 262 (88.3 overs) and 184-3 (54 overs).

The Jaguars resumed yesterday from their overnight score of 79-2, with Singh on 13 and former West Indies batting star Shivnarine Chanderpaul yet to score. In no apparent haste, the two steadily added 27 runs to the total in pushing the score up to 106.

However, before they went any further seamer Marquino Mindley got the breakthrough, when he hit Chanderpaul’s edge for wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton to accept the catch and remove the veteran for five.

The wicket brought back some degree of confidence to the home team, but Reifer, the attacking left-hander had other ideas and any hopes of a Scorpions victory quickly disappeared with every ball that was hit into the boundary rope.

Scorpions captain Nikita Miller expressed disappointment with his team’s all-round performance in surrendering a second time to the same opponents this season.

“I feel like we had a good opportunity to win this game but the difference I believe was that their fast bowlers did a lot better than ours and that made the difference. If our pace bowlers had been a little bit more consistent maybe we would have got some more wickets from yesterday (Sunday),” Miller told journalists in a post-match interview.

He continued: “We have to double up every game from here on is like a final so we have to double our efforts I think that we have to close out games when we get that opportunity because it was a second innings games as you could see.

“Our decision making in both innings was not up to the standard that I or the coaching staff expected and going forward we have to look at that and make sure that we score runs. If we are going to win games we have to score runs because that is what set up games.

Meanwhile, Esuan Crandon, coach of Guyana Jaguars welcomed the victory as a “huge boost” going forward with some four rounds of game remaining in the season.

“This is definitely a huge win for us it was a total team effort, I thought we were a little bit rusty on the first day but we knew what our bowlers were capable of doing.

“We were a little hampered at home in terms of preparation so these guys had to come out and be professional and showcase their skill. So all in all I am happy with the victory; I guess there are some areas that we need to work on as we go on, so we just have to try and put in those work and take it one game at a time,” Crandon noted.

“We recognise the importance of us winning this game and taking the lead away from home. Our aim is to win the next two games and if we don’t win then we have to try and get as much points from those two games. So this is a huge boost for us going into the next two games,” he added.