“Talk is cheap – Guyana’s Amazon Conquerors Easily Conquered – CLT-20 2010″

Sep 19, 2010 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
Which two teams will qualify for the semi-finals from Group B is still up in the air.
However, as far as Guyana’s Amazon Conquerors are concerned, they will play their 3rd game today (Sunday), v the Highveld Lions, then against the rampaging South Australia, on Tuesday next.
It is very possible that the Conquerors could leave South Africa without conquering on the field of play, ending their CLT-20 2010 without a win.   They will return to Guyana, a chastened lot, but, hopefully, with some priceless education.  Fooling one’s self is a terrible thing.
One Guyanese newspaper even suggested that the Guyana Amazon Conquerors are maybe, now, Amazon Conkees!
For the uninitiated, ‘conkee’ is a sweet delicacy, which, like ‘metagee’ (‘blue food’), came from the African slaves.  Each is made in a semi-rectangular cake, about 5 inches x 3 inches x three-quarter inch thick.  The ingredients include pumpkin, corn flower, honey or brown sugar, essence, raisons and currants, then mixed, and softly baked in banana leaves.  Many are made at once, replacing bread on the menu – absolutely delicious!
Anyway, for the A-C, this has not been sweet at all.  Talk is so cheap, but must be followed up by actions.  At times, Guyana did not even seem to know where they were!
I would have thought that Ramnaresh Sarwan, especially, by now, with all of his experiences, would have recognized that in 2010 representative cricket, there is no place for emotion.
One cannot meander brainlessly, hoping that all will turn out well.  Tough decisions must be made, on the move, in an instant, based on the game time at hand.
The way the Amazon Conquerors played in their 1st CLT-20 2010 game, v the Royal Challenger Bangalore, they could not have overcome a stream, much less RCB, or that great river.  The mightiest river in the world must have cried with embarrassment!
A-C were totally out-classed and very much outplayed by a team that was so much better in every department that it turned out to be a stroll; match practice for RCB in the end.
I remember saying, during the television commentary for the West Indies T-20 2010, that Guyana’s batting, on paper, looked good, but that it was its worst aspect.  A few took me to task for this suggestion, but, again, I am proved correct!
In that 1st game, conditions were ripe for good fast bowling, and, winning the toss, RCB unleashed Dale Steyn and Praveen Kumar on Travis Dowling and Sewnarine Chattergoon, noting that Guyana’s 1st four batsmen were Test and international batsmen.
Dowling started the listlessness in Game 1.  He made 10, from 17 deliveries.  As much as he had done well in the Caribbean T-20 2010, Dowling should be dropped after his Game 2 effort.  In both games so far, he showed that he was seriously out of his depth in this competition.  On occasions, it looked as if he was batting with a dinner fork!
Barnwell should open the innings with Chattergoon, with Ramnaresh Sarwan coming at No. 4, not at No. 3.    Pinch-hitting from Esaun Crandon, up at No. 3 or No. 4, would not go amiss either.  If you do need salvation, later on, Narsingh Deonarine could be the No. 5, or even No. 6 anchor, with Jonathan Foo in at No. 5 – revolutionize things a bit!
RCB’s captain Anil Kumble was unbelievably magnificent; 4-0-10-1. He was backed up nicely by Kallis 4-1-16-3; Kumar 4-0-22-2 and Steyn 4-023-1.
The much hyped Jonathan Foo has lasted only six deliveries for 01, in Game 1, then three more in Game 2, also for 01, so far.  He is getting a very tough international baptism!
It should also be noted that the Royal Challengers Bangalore starts its innings with two regular Test No. 3’s, Kallis (South Africa) and Dravid (India), and they normally do well.
At the end of Game 1, v RCB, Sarwan was reflective:  “The majority of the players have never played in these conditions, and it was a great learning experience.  But, we really need to learn fast.  We need to.”  Only he could know how much was really learned!
Sarwan was correct, though.  The conditions for Game 1 were somewhat wintry, but there can be no excuse from the Guyanese.  They should have been in South Africa eons ago, but they were legally tied, with injunctions and everything else to consider then.
In the 2nd game, v Mumbai Indians, thoughtless planning, a lack of any understanding or appreciation, emerged from A-C.
At the end of 15 overs, Guyana was 113-3, with Sarwan on 46 from 37 deliveries, going well, while Barnwell, who had recently come to the crease, was on 07 from six deliveries.
At that stage, Guyana still needed 72 to win from at least 30 further, legal deliveries; run rate required 14.40; a very gettable situation for the final five overs of a T-20 game.
With the 3rd delivery of over 16, Sarwan was out for the same 46; 118-4 in 15.3 overs.
At that stage, Guyana should have sent Jonathan Foo to the crease, so as to keep the momentum and energy going, since the effervescent Barnwell was still there.
Instead, the pedestrian, limited Royston Crandon strolled to the crease.  Was Crandon able to deliver 15 runs per over from there?  Never!  Brainless, plan-less cricket that!
Earlier, when the Mumbai Indians batted, they went off with a plan of 200 in mind.  82-1 in 10.5 overs between Sachin Tendulkar and Shikhar Dharwan looked to be the platform. Tendulkar fell for 48, but by then, Indians were 82-1; 10.5 overs.  Then came K-P!
Keiron Pollard had been, very sensibly, promoted to No. 3, and his first 11 deliveries only realized 7 runs.  Then he started his onslaught.  Guyana had no answer whatsoever.
K-P lashed Barnwell for two sixes in the 16th, and continued with 2 sixes and a four in the 17th, bowled by Bishoo.  In the 18th, Pollard pummeled Esaun Crandon for three sixes.  He and Ambati Rayudu put on 53 for the 4th wicket, but Rayudu contributed only 4!
J.P. Duminy joined Pollard for the last 9 deliveries of the Mumbai Indians’ innings, and they added 32 from them.  85 runs came from the last 5 Amazon Conquerors’ overs!
Pollard had made 72 not out from only 30 deliveries, with 9 sixes and one four, while Duminy also played his part; getting 14 not out from 6 deliveries; a magnificent blitz!
184-4 may have been 20 fewer that the Indians planned to get.  It was more than enough!
The 3rd game, later today, would put A-C against the Highveld Lions, a team that includes Alviro Petersen, Zander de Bruin, Neil Mc Kenzie, Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Thami Tsolekile, all South African international players.  Yet, this could be the Amazon Conquerors best chance to get back into the competition.  Lose here and go home!
Tuesday’s game, against form team South Australia, with players like the speedy Sean Tait and wicket-keeper Graeme Manou, both of whom have played for Australia, would be harder to win.  The Amazon Conquerors are now playing for pride and place too!
Enjoy!

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