Windwards clinch 1st innings points to share cellar position with Guyana

Mar 02, 2010 Sports

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By Sean Devers in Grenada
In association with Lifetime Reality

Guyana’s miserable campaign in the 2010 Regional 4-Day cricket tournament ended in anti climax yesterday at the Grenada National Stadium when their final round game against the Windwards was called strangely off at Tea after the host had taken 1st innings points in the drawn encounter.
According to the Umpires, the regulations states that the game could be called off an hour before the scheduled close but yesterday’s clash was called off at the end of the penultimate session because both Captains agreed to do so.
When the game ended, Guyana, who made 455 in their first innings, were 83-1 in their 2nd innings after the Windwards were bowled out 10 minutes after lunch for 462 giving them 6 points to take them to 22 in what has also been a dismal tournament for them.
Guyana’s 3 points also took them to 22 points.
The two teams share the cellar position of the points table after Guyana had occupied that position on their own in last year’s competition and an urgent review of Guyana’s cricket and possible sweeping changes are needed to resurrect Guyana’s cricket at a time when the poor performance of the West Indies team is driving away fans and sponsors.
After hitting 10 fours from 63 balls and 96 minutes in his unbeaten 53, left-hander Gajanand Singh agreed to prematurely end the battle instead of wanting to utilize the opportunity of trying to register his maiden First-Class century. Opener Rajendra Chandrika was not out on 21 from 97 minutes from 61 balls with 3 fours when stumps were drawn.
This was after Sewnarine Chattergoon was trapped leg before to pacer Nelon Pascal off the first ball of the Guyana 2nd innings.
Earlier, the Windwards resumed the day on 371-7 and in brilliant sunshine and watched by a small crowd made up of mostly school children, got first innings points just before lunch when last man Delon Johnson flicked a flat, fast delivery from leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo to the fine-leg boundary.
Wicketkeeper Lyndon James began the final day on 18 and batted responsibly to finish unbeaten on 70 decorated with just 7 fours on the fast and severely parched outfield before he ran out of partners.
Shane Shillingford (13) was the first to go yesterday when he edged Esuan Crandon to the Keeper to leave the score on 419-8.
James and Gary Mathurin, who thumped 3 boundaries in 16, took their team to within 7 runs of Guyana’s total with untroubled batting before Mathurin was bowled by a beautifully flighted delivery from Bishoo at 448-9.
The left-hander had survived a stumping chance off the same bowler two balls before and his demise left last man Johnson the task of staying with James to get their team to first innings points as the Guyanese, who used 9 bowlers, surrounded the batman with close fielders.
By lunch the Windwards were 458-9 with Johnson on 7 and James, who passed his previous highest score of 66 at this level with an off-drive along the ground for six, unbeaten on 67.
James, who batted well with his Captain in a vital partnership late on Sunday afternoon, drove off-spinner Royston Crandon to mid-off and scampered from what should have been a very ‘tight’ single. Bishoo took his eyes off the ball and the batsmen took two before Crandon, who took the return to the bowler’s end, fired his return past Christian for 4 over throws in a sloppy display.
Just after lunch Bishoo had the left-handed Johnson (7) taken at mid-off to end the innings and finish with 3-115 from 37.3 overs while the hard working Esuan Crandon had 3-96 from 33 overs. Assad Fudadin took 2-34 from 10 overs of medium pace while debutant teenage pacer Keon Joseph got a taste of First-Class cricket as he ended with 0-92 from 16 overs. Wicketkeeper Christian and Chandrika were the only Guyanese who did not bowl.
When Guyana began their second innings, Singh joined Chandrika after Chattergoon’s first ball dismissal and got going with three magnificent cover driven boundaries off the lively Pascal. Chandrika played the supporting role as Singh, who hails from Berbice but who now resides in Demerara and plays for that county, pulled medium pacer Craig Emmanuel for 2 bullet-like boundaries to mid-wicket in 3 balls and used his feet nicely to thump off-spinner Shane Shillingford for four over mid-on.
Chandrika cut left arm spinner Mathurin to the point boundary and along with Singh put together their unbroken 83-run partnership with attractive stroke-play before play was called off.
The Guyana team depart Grenada for home early this morning and could take heart that the belated appointment of Analyst Robin Singh coincided with the team’s first overseas victory at this level since March 2008.
Their 5-wicket win against the Leewards in Trinidad was followed by yesterday’s draw as the South Americans, finished with 2 draws and 4 defeats in the 7-team competition.
The appointment of a bowling Coach to help head coach Ravindra Seeram could have also made a difference and it is hoped that proper preparation for next year’s competition and a stronger support staff is put in place to prevent Guyana from an unprecedented 3rd time at the bottom of the points table.

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