Highlights of some outstanding moments in sports

Jan 03, 2009 Sports

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Sports, despite several negatives that have been highlighted in the latter part of last year by this daily, have had its share of memorable moments during 2008.
Kaieteur Sports takes this opportunity to reminisce on some of those bright spots during the past sporting year.
We in the sports department also take the opportunity to wish all, especially sporting fans, athletes, administrators and sponsors a prosperous 2009 and God’s richest blessing.

My top three memorable cricket moments for Guyanese in 2008

By Sean Devers
Cush’s historic hat-trick on Mash Day fails to push Guyana into consecutive Stanford 20/20 final
On Guyana’s 38th Republic Anniversary (Feb 23), Jamaica claimed a thrilling one-run win over defending champions Guyana, who failed to score the 12 runs required off the final over bowled by Marlon Samuels in the semi-finals of the Stanford 20/20 in Antigua.
Chasing Jamaica’s 143, Guyana slumped to 42 for 5 by the 11th over against the pace duo of Jerome Taylor and Darren Powell and the off-spin of Samuels.
Travis Dowlin hit a boundary off the first delivery of Guyana’s innings before falling to Taylor. Samuels then removed Sewnarine Chattergoon in the 5th over with his first ball while Powell struck twice in the next over; getting rid of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (10) and Lennox Cush. Guyana were staring down the barrel when captain Ramnaresh Sarwan fell to Samuels and despite 25 from Royston Crandon reached 142-8. The 19th over of the Jamaica innings produced drama for the sell-out crowd of mostly Guyanese as off-spinner Cush claimed the first hat-trick in Stanford 20/20 history when he bowled Hyatt for 59 and had Wavell Hinds and Xavier Marshall caught at long-on, as Jamaica, who lost in the final to Trinidad and Tobago, slipped from 134-3 to 134-6.

Impressive Guyana National Stadium becomes region’s 10th Test venue

March 22, 2008 was an auspicious day for Guyanese when the impressive Guyana National Stadium at Providence, arguably one of the fastest drying Test grounds in the world, became the region’s 10th Test cricket venue and the second in Guyana after Bourda.
However, it was another disappointing match for the West Indies who lost by 122 runs on the final day against Sri Lanka in the first Test of the series.
Guyana’s Ramnaresh Sarwan became the first West Indian to score a half-century at Stadium but Basnayake Shalith Malinda Warnapura (120) and Skipper Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene (136) matched their impressive names with magnificent centuries as Sri Lanka declared at 476-8.
Jerome Taylor took 4-110 for the hosts who lost Skipper Chris Gayle for a duck to his nemisis Chaminda Vass and never recovered. Sarwan’s 80 was the only bright spot in a gloomy West Indies innings as they fell for 280.
Warnapura hit another fifty (62) as Sri Lanka (240-7 declared) declared for the second time in the contest, leaving the West Indies 437 to win.
Dwayne Bravo (83), Sarwan (72) and Gayle (53*) could not prevent a West Indies defeat as Vass snatched 5-61. Bravo opened the batting in the second innings as Gayle, who opted to bat at number five to shield himself from Vass with the new ball, shockingly gave the strike to last man Daren Powell off the first ball of Vass’ last over as the visitors won the historic and memorable match.

Chanderpaul’s last over heroics fashion memorable Windies
win with stupendous last ball six

On April 10, 2008 Shivnarine Chanderpaul carried West Indies to a thrilling final-ball one-wicket win in the first one-day international in Port of Spain with 10 required off two deliveries. He responded with a straight drive before flicking a Chaminda Vaas full toss over deep midwicket to send the sell-out crowd into wild celebrations.
An enthralling match had swung one way then the other before the final act. Sri Lanka recovered from 49 for 5 to post a competitive total with Chamara Kapugedera hitting a career-best 95 in a record sixth-wicket stand of 159 with Chamara Silva. West Indies were well placed on 109 for 1 before Chris Gayle fell for 52, and when Dwayne Bravo was run out the lower-order was exposed. Sri Lanka appeared to have done enough, but Chanderpaul had other ideas.
He’d struggled to find the boundary, and the strike, in the final stages but clipped a four off the final ball of the 49th over. Only three runs came off the first four balls of the last over from Vaas before Chanderpaul slammed a drive past mid-off, followed by the match-clinching six which sailed over Mahela Jayawardene on the fence.
Replying to Sri Lanka’s 235-7 off 50 overs, West Indies reached 236-9 off the final ball as Chanderpaul, who 62 not out from 63 balls closed off the game in unforgettable style.

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