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Guyana beat L/Wards by 5 wickets to climb out of cellar position
Assad Fudadin (left) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul scamper a single against the Leewards yesterday as Guyana close in on their first win at this level since March 2008.
By Sean Devers in Trinidad
In association with Splashmin’s Resort
& TCL Group
A sensible half-century partnership between Man-of-the-Match Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Vice-Captain Assad Fudadin helped Guyana to their first win at this level since March 2008 as the Leewards went down by 5 wickets in their Regional 4-Day game at the National Cricket Centre in Couva yesterday.
Set 98 to win, Guyana reached 99-5, twenty-three minutes before lunch on the final day to move to 19 points and out of the cellar position for the first time this season.
Chanderpaul, who on Sunday became the 11th batsman to score a century in this year’s competition (Denesh Ramdin has 2), finished unbeaten on 32 from 109 balls and 135 minutes with 3 fours to follow scores of 23, 77 and 105 not out in his 3 innings in the tournament. This was Chanderpaul’s 73rd not out in First-Class cricket and his single minded approach to not giving his wicket away makes him a virtual batting machine.
Fudadin’s 23 lasted 104 balls, 131 minutes with 2 fours before he spoiled a great opportunity to get a not out to his name with an impetuous shot to mid-wicket with victory 3 runs away to end his 56-run stand with Chanderpaul.
More insanity was to follow without addition to the score when Derwin Christian tried to clear the large deep mid-wicket boundary off the 3rd ball he faced and was caught in the deep off Liburd for another duck at this level.
The senseless demise of Christian emphasized the lack of common sense that seems to be plaguing many West Indian cricketers.
The quick dismissals of Fudadin and Christian to attacking shots to Liburd with just 3 required to win with over 2 sessions available with a well-set Chanderpaul at the other end diluted the emphatic victory, especially since there will be no Chanderpaul to shepherd the flock in the next match due to West Indies 20/20 duties against Zimbabwe on Sunday in Trinidad.
Guyana resumed the final day on 49-3 needing another 49 runs to win and in the first over of the day Fudadin was miss-stumped off leg-spinner Anthony Martin after he had added 2 to his overnight one. Fudadin and Chanderpaul played watchfully as Martin and medium pacer Wilden Cornwall operated in tandem in sunny conditions with Chanderpaul sweeping Martin for four and then driving him through the covers for another boundary as the Islanders attacked.
Fudadin cut Martin behind point for four and steered him for 2 as Guyana edged closer to the victory target on a difficult track to play shots on.
Chanderpaul tucked Martin for 3 to take his team into the 80s and although the Leewards maintained their attacking field, the match was all but over.
Fudadin pulled Liburd to the mid-wicket boundary to post the 50 partnership off 177 balls and the wickets of Fudadin and Christian just delayed the result which left the Leewards on 22 points.
Chanderpaul, who now has 14 First-Class tons for Guyana including 13 at the Regional level, formalized the win with a spanking cover drive for four off Liburd.
The 35-year-old left-hander will have to wait until possibly next season to equal the Guyana Regional First-Class record of 14 tons held by Clayton Lambert. Chanderpaul, the only Guyanese in the West Indies team for the 20/20 match against Zimbabwe on Sunday in Trinidad will miss Guyana’s final game in Grenada. Chanderpaul’s other First-Class century for Guyana is 176 against India at Bourda in 1997.
The Guyanese are scheduled to leave today at 14:00hrs for the 45-minute trip to Grenada for their final game against the Windwards which starts on Friday and that match in the Spice Isle could be a ding-dong battle of the bottom-placed teams. The loser will finish last in the competition.
While Sarwan is expected to be available, Narsingh Deonarine and Travis Dowlin might not be since they are scheduled to arrive in the Caribbean on Thursday night from Australia.
With the title out of their reach the Guyana selectors could also toy with the possibility of giving West Indies under-19 opener Trevon Griffith a taste of First-Class cricket in a game of only academic interest.
In the other games Barbados beat Jamaica. Scores – Barbados 293 and 54/0; Jamaica 226 and Jamaica 120.
T&T beat the Windwards. Scores – T&T 263 and 297/6decl; Windwards 188 and 219/10.
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