Skipper and Man-of the Match Anthony Bramble led from the front at Sabina Park yesterday as Guyana beat the Windward Islands by 2 wickets in their TCL Regional Under-19 three-day cricket match to register their first win in the six-team tournament.

Finally a win! The Guyanese celebrate the victory inside their dressing room yesterday. Skipper Anthony Bramble (3rd from right sitting) shows off his Man-of-the-Match award while Manager Alvin Johnson (standing right) and Coach Evans (left) share the moment.

Set 263 to win after the Islanders fell for 189 in their second innings half-hour into yesterday’s play, the Guyanese slipped to 23-3 before Bramble, who replaced Herrell Greene as opener yesterday, revived the position with a valuable 76-run 4th wicket stand with his Vice-Captain Royston Alkins (24) to set Guyana on course for victory on a slow last day track in hot conditions.

Seon Hetmyer, who used his feet convincingly to combat the spinners, returned to form with a timely unbeaten 52 while left-hander Alex Amsterdam fell two short of his maiden fifty at this level as Guyana produced an improved batting display to finish with 16 points from three matches and an outside chance of still winning the competition if they can gain victories against Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago in their last two games.

The defeat condemned the Windwards, who collected 4 points for taking first innings honours in the game, to the cellar position as the Leewards and Jamaica head into tomorrow’s penultimate round as join leaders with 24 points.

Guyana took just 26 minutes to wrap up the Windwards’ innings yesterday after they resumed on 163-7 as leg-spinner Jonathon Foo (3-35) removed the last two batsmen after part-time off-spinner Amsterdam (3-29) trapped Audy Alexander (8) LBW at167-8.

Anthony Bramble

Guyana, who lost to the Leeward and Jamaica, began their victory hunt badly when the inform Trevon Griffith (1) pulled pacer John Fabien to square-leg with just 5 runs on the board.

Fabien, who finished with 4-43 them yorked Jeetendra Sookdeo (1) at 17-2 while Jonathon Foo continued to under achieve at this level despite his natural talent when he pushed tentatively forward to pacer Josh Thomas and was LBW for 5 as Guyana wobbled to 26-3.  

Pushed up the order after the repeated failure of Greene, Bramble looked like a man ready for the job and batted with conviction and by lunch was unbeaten on 33 with Guyana on 44-3.

Alkins, whose worst enemy is himself and his low self-confidence, followed up his unbeaten 38 in the first innings with positive, if at time a bit reckless stroke-play to take Guyana to 99 after the interval.

Alkins, who disdainfully struck left-arm spinner Alexander for a massive six, played a loose drive at Fabien and was caught behind. His 24 lasted 81 balls and included a six and a four and he was soon followed to the pavilion by Bramble who was yorked by the impressive Fabien at 122-5.

Bramble, who batted watchfully against the spinners and was not afraid to take on the pacers, stroked 7 boundaries in his 78 which came from 124 balls and 191 minutes and his work might have inspired the lower middle order to also show commitment to the cause.

Arguable the most technically correct batsman and the best against spin in the team, Hetmyer, who scored Guyana’s only century last year, has looked woefully short of form and confidence but stepped up to the plate with his team going all out for the win.

He was the only batsman to consistently use his feet to the spinners and his on-driving was a delight to watch as he and Greene (batting at number 7) took Guyana to 151 before Greene (11) was controversially run out.

After an LBW appeal was turned down, Greene left his crease to talk to his partner, the wicket was broken and the run out appeal upheld. The bowler’s end Umpire reportedly gave permission to Hetmyer to go to chat with Greene but this was later denied by the official.

With the score on 154-6 at Tea, Hetmyer on 20 and Amsterdam on 1, the Windwards must have fancied their chances especially since Guyana had reached 200 just once in 5 innings.

Responsible batting from Hetmyer and Amsterdam frustrated the Windwards, even as the competition’s leading wicket taker, Skipper Dalton Polius bowled his heart out in an unchanged 37-over spell of controlled off-spin. When pace was used from the other end, Amsterdam, a slim, elegant left-hander looked in total control; paying a couple of exquisite cover-drives for boundaries in one over from Thomas.

While Hetmyer danced down the track to drive or nullify the spin, Amsterdam was content to play on the back foot with punches and cuts as the Berbice pair added 77 runs before Amsterdam lost his patience and wicket at 228-7.

With 53 required from the last 15 overs and Amsterdam approaching his fifty, he became noticeable subdued and his half hearted drive to left-arm spinner Kaveem Hodge was taken at mid-on. His 48 lasted 91 balls and included just a solitary boundary but was valuable as Andre Stoll’s cameo 21 with a four and a six later in the innings.

With the pressure mounting as both sides attempted a win, Stoll lofted Alexander for a straight six and swung Polius to the mid-wicket boundary and even though he missed a sweep and was LBW to Hodge with victory 13 runs away, he had done his job in accelerating the run rate with the overs running out.

Totaram Bishun (7*) has been like a rock at the bottom of the order and his level-headedness again ensured that he stayed with Hetmyer as the Islanders buckled under the pressure towards the closing stages by dropping Stoll at 225-8 and giving away crucial runs from poor fielding.

Hetmyer soon reached his 2nd regional Under-19 fifty and his unbeaten 52 came from 154 balls, 183 minutes with one four.

A no-ball from Hodge with a single needed for victory and 6 minutes left in the match, emphasized the Windward’s inability to remain focused in ‘tight’ situations and handed Guyana victory.

Guyana Coach Hubern Evans was pleased with the victory and high in praise for Bramble, Amsterdam and Hetmyer. He is however still disappointed that the batsmen are not scoring runs together and says at least four batsmen have to make big scores in the same innings if Guyana are to come out on top in their last two matches.

“Griffith has batted well at the top but needs to be more careful in his shot selection while it is time that Foo do justice to his immense talent with consistent performances,” Evans said.

“Today Griffith, Sookdeo and Foo all failed and yet we won. It is refreshing to see the others pull their weight and if we can fix the shot selection problem and the bowlers can be more constant with their control we can still finish this competition among the top teams”, he added.