Dowlin’s 60 and Foo’s cameo take Guyana home

Jul 24, 2010 Sports

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By Sean Devers in Barbados In association
with Digicel, Leisure Inn & Carib Beer

Man-of-the Match Travis Dowlin produced another solid 20/20 performance for Guyana while 19-year-old debutant Jonathon Foo set tongues wagging with a boundary-filled unbeaten 10-ball 24 as Guyana beat the Windward Islands by 5 wickets at the Kensington Oval last evening in their opening match of the Caribbean 20/20 cricket Championships here in Barbados.
Dowlin hit 2 fours an 2 sixes from 52 balls in his 60 at the top of the order and shared an important partnership with Christopher Barnwell (27) before Foo, who only last year was playing at the under-19 level, announced his arrival at this level with a bullet-like four off his first ball with Guyana under pressure to score quickly in the last three overs.
Foo, a pugnacious right-hander from Albion hit his second ball for his country at the senior level for a straight six and then edged his 3rd delivery for four before finishing the match in style with a boundary off Skipper Daren Sammy as Guyana reached 160-5 off 19.2 overs replying to the Windward Islands’ 157-8 off 20 overs.
Spinners Lennox Cush (4-25) and Davendra Bishoo (3-23) had compensated for an ordinary Guyana bowling performance to help restrict the Islanders scoring on a good track and fast outfield.
Asked to bat in brilliant sunshine, the Windward Islands lost the dangerous Devon Smith (4) off the first ball of Cush’s first over to leave the score on 19-1 in the 4th over.
Esuan Crandon began with a steady first over before Johnson Charles, who opened with Smith, stroked him for two boundaries in his second before Smith was dropped by the Keeper Derwin Christian who failed to hold a difficult chance as Smith edged an almighty cut.
Barnwell was pulled for four as he replaced Crandon whose first two overs cost 15 before Narsingh Deonarine, running back from mid-off, failed to hold the offering as Charles tried to go over the top. Charles was again dropped by Cush off the last ball of his 3rd over and again by Davendra Bishoo off Barnwell and along with Andre Fletcher Charles put pressure on the Guyanese with very aggressive running between the wickets as the 50 was posted in the 9th over.
Another small crowd on a working day, watched as the Guyanese failed to offer the type of support to their bowlers required at this level. Barnwell bowled a tidy line and length on off stump and after 10 overs, Guyana, who left out Paul Wintz, Steven Jacobs and Assad Fudadin, restricted the Islanders, making their debut as a team in regional 20/20 cricket, to 72-1 off 10 overs.
Charles, a busy 21-year-old St Lucian, smashed Deonarine for four to long-on and then clobbered him for a straight six off the next ball before reaching his 50 from 37 balls with 3 fours and six in the 11th over.
The Windward’s, without a Regional first class title and just 2 at Regional 50-over level, looked a very dangerous side in the game’s shortest format and Charles was not afraid to play his shots on the lush green and lightening fast outfield.
Bishoo comprehensively bowled Fletcher (23) to leave the score on 83-2 in the 12th over as the Albion leg-spinner broke the 62-run 2nd wicket partnership in his first over. Charles was then bowled by Bishoo for 55 from 40 balls with six fours and a six at 94-3 in the 14th over before Bishoo removed Liam Sebastian for 7 at 106-4.
It was soon 112-5 in the 17th over as Royston Crandon got rid of the dangerous Sammy (8) as the Windwards wobbled after their good start.
Rawle Lewis showed his experience with a cameo 14-ball 30 which was decorated with three sixes in the penultimate over bowled by Royston Crandon before he fell in the final over to Cush.
After the 19th over from Royston Crandon cost 26 runs, Cush ensured that Guyana did not have to chase in excess of 175 by taking three wickets and conceding just 7 runs from the last over.
Cush had the explosive Lewis when substitute Assad Fudadin showed wonderful presence of mind to hold a well judged catch on the rebound after he parried the ball into the air, stepped over the boundary and then retuned to the playing area to complete the catch and leave the Windwards on 152-6.
Donwell Hector (11) was bowled next ball as Cush, the only bowler in regional 20/20 cricket to claim a hat-trick, was on another hat-trick. Although Cush did not reproduce his 2008 performance, he eventually had Shane Shillingford taken at long-on for a duck to finish with 4-25. Bishoo supported with 3-23 for the Guyanese, looking for a first round victory.
When Guyana began their reply both Sewnarine Chattergoon and Dowlin looked uncomfortable against the left-arm pace of Deighton Butler and left-arm spinner Gary Mathurin who bowled fast and straight.
Chattergoon pulled Butler for a six but was soon stupendously caught by Hector as he ran about 30 yards from mid-on and dived to hold the ‘blinder’ to sent Chattergoon on his way for 10 at 28-1 in the 5th over. Sarwan (12) played a gorgeous back cut off Shillingford for four but was once again out hooking as he fell to Pascal at 58-2.
Shillingford struck an important blow when Narsingh Deonarine, who hit the winning six in the inaugural regional 20/20 final in Antigua in 2006 against Trinidad and Tobago, was caught behind for 8 at 82-3 in the 12th over.
Dowlin, Guyana’s leading 20/20 batsman, played a delightful ‘inside out’ drive over cover for four off Shillingford and looked the man between the Windwards and a Guyana win. When Dowlin was well held by Fletcher running almost to the third man boundary off Pascal at 126-4 the Windward’s were back in business with three overs left.
Pascal then removed Barnwell who batted really well and added 44 with Dowlin in an important 4th wicket stand to leave the South Americans on 128-5. Barnwell, who struck Lewis for a six and a four in the 13th over, hit 2 fours and a six in his 18-ball 27.
Foo then rekindled memories of Imran Khan’s power hitting in 2006 and finished the match in style with a two-bounce boundary off the 2nd ball of the final over from Sammy who looked very handicapped by a groin injury. Royston Crandon was unbeaten on 9 when victory was achieved.
Guyana face CCC in their second game tomorrow from 14:00hrs before facing Barbados in Trinidad in their final preliminary round match next week.
Scores: Guyana 160 for 5 (Dowlin 60, Pascal 3-21) beat Windward Islands 157 for 8 (Charles 55, Cush 4-25, Bishoo 3-23) by five wickets.

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