Another stunning last-over win from Guyana

Jan 15, 2011 Sports

Derwin Christian smashes a six in his match -winning 40 not out -- Randy Brooks photo.

Keep them in the race for repeat titles

By Sean Devers
in Antigua
In association with
Digicel, Carib Beer,
Leisure Inn, GSL, Queensway &
Dave’s West Indian Imports (NY)

Watched a large crowd of mostly Guyanese supporters at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, defending champions Guyana, led by a pulsating unbeaten 13-ball 40 from Derwin Christian beat CCC by 2 wickets in another stunning last-over finish in their final Caribbean T20 match in Antigua last night to stay in the race for a repeat title and a trip to India for the 2011 Champions League.
Guyana, who rebounded from a 50-run loss to Jamaica to beat Somerset by one run in a sensational last over finish on Wednesday, retained an unchanged team from their last match; leaving out Andre Stoll, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Richard Ramdeen and elected to field first.
A savage 23-ball 43 with four fours and two sixes from William Perkins and a solid 43 from 44 balls from Skipper Rommel Currency inspired CCC to 175-7 off their 20 overs as Leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo took 3-34 and off-spinner Royston Crandon 2-22.
Guyana were required to score their highest ever T20 total for a crucial victory and at 119-7 when Jonathon Foo was taken on the boundary for a 20-ball 23, after Esuan Crandon had departed for a 12-ball 21, CCC were in charge.
The South Americans, who made 176-6 against T&T in the 2006 Stanford Final and 176-7 against South Australia in South Africa last year, reached 178-8 to win with two balls to spare and these types of finishes, once Coach Seeram can get his opening combination right and the top order can come to the party, the Guyanese must be now favoured to go all the way.
Only Foo and Esuan Crandon reached 20 in another disappointing display from their top order before Christian saved the day in thrilling fashion.
Leg-spinner Nkrumah Bonner was the best CCC bowler with 3-24 while Guyanese Gilford Moore bowled with pace to finish with 2-20.
Fifteen runs were required from the last over bowled by pacer Kevin McLean with 7 wickets down and Bishoo got a single from the first ball while 4 overthrows from the next ball produced 6. Christian slashed the 3rd ball for 4 leaving four runs from 3 balls.
Christian then finished the match in style with a huge six to spark wild celebrations as hundreds of Guyanese invaded the ground to congratulate their heroes.
Earlier, Guyana, who beat CCC by 42 runs in Barbados last year in the only previous meeting at this level, again opened the bowling with spinner Veerasammy Permaul and the opening over produced just 2 runs.
The experienced Esuan Crandon conceded consecutive boundaries in the 2nd over as Miles Bascombe straight drove the pacer before flicking him for four and the body language of the batsmen suggested CCC, the most consistent batting team in the tournament, meant business.
Bascombe was dropped at mid-off by Steven Jacobs off the last ball of the 2nd over in which 11 runs were scored while Currency got going with a spanking drive over cover off Permaul for 4 and was gifted with another boundary as the ball went right through Jacobs in the 3rd over as the Vincentian pair looked to be positive.
Bascombe charged down the track and smashed Crandon to the extra cover boundary with disdain while Currency also played his shots as the Students galloped to 48 in the 6th over before Bascombe, who hit 5 fours in his 17-ball 26 was caught at mid-off in Royston Crandon’s first over.
Trinidadian William Perkins clobbered Bishoo for a four and two sixes off his first three balls before a stupendous catch at long-on by Chris Barnwell ended Perkin’s onslaught in the 13th over at 106-2.
Floyd Reifer (16) was adjudged leg before to a ball pitched outside leg stump from Bishoo in the 16th over as CCC slipped to 136-3 while Currency fell to Esuan Crandon at 138-4 in the 17th over and Ryan Wiggins (1) was run out in the same over at 138-5 as the Guyanese fought back.
Kyle Hope (2) was stumped off Bishoo at 154-6 in the 18th over but Walton, who waltzed down the track deposit Esuan Crandon onto the sight screen in the penultimate over, and Nkrumah Bonner kept up the tempo to see CCC to the second highest total in this year’s competition before Walton (27) was bowled by Bishoo in the final over.
With the dancing girls ‘doing their thing’ in the party stand and the music pounding, Guyanese Gilford Moore missed the final two balls.

Guyanese fans celebrate with the players after their superb win over CC&C -- Randy Brooks photo.

Guyana, champions in 2006 and 2010, began their reply needing to score at close at 9 runs per over and Moore began with four dot balls to Dowlin before the 5th took the edge and was dropped at slip by Reifer as it speed to the boundary for four.
Shiv Chanderpaul, finally asked to open the batting, got going with a sumptuous square cut off left-arm spinner Kavesh Kantasingh for four in the 2nd over before sweeping him for another boundary 2 balls later and the Guyanese fans were on their feet again.
Dowlin, surprisingly picked ahead of Ramdeen for this game soon top-edged a hook off Moore to the keeper for 4 to leave Guyana on 17-1 in the 3rd over while a couple of wonderful swept boundaries from Chanderpaul off Kantasingh signaled that the ‘Tiger’ could play a special innings for his team.
However, CCC struck a massive blow when Chanderpaul (19 from 15 balls with 3 fours) was run out at 43-2 in the 5th over to bring ‘pinch hitter’ Esuan Crandon to the crease.
The left hander thumped McLean for a murderous six over extra cover and followed it up with a glorious back punch for four off the next ball before hooking the pacer to deep square leg at 53-7 in the 7th over.
Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan slog swept Wiggins for six and was just beginning to look dangerous on 17 from 13 balls when he needlessly cut Wiggins to short third man in the 9th over to leave the score on 73-4.
Four runs later Royston Crandon fell to Bonner who also removed Jacobs (18) and Foo as Guyana slipped to 119-7 in the 16th over and not even a naked tourist who ran across the ground could lift the Guyanese mood.
But Christian was not done yet and dumped Bonner for a huge six and hit Kantasingh for an even bigger one, as he and his DCC team mate Barnwell, who smashed the spinner for a big six and a scorching four in the 18th over which cost 23 runs, kept Guyana in the fight.
Christian was dropped on the mid wicket on 20 off Moore in the penultimate over while Barnwell (16) skied Moore to the keeper off the last ball of the 19 over to leave Guyana on 161-8 and needing 15 to win from the final over.
The Guyanese, who represented the West Indies in last September’s Champions League T20 tournament in South Africa, are scheduled to depart here today for Barbados where they face the Windward Islands in their final preliminary round game at the Kensington Oval from 20:00hrs on Tuesday. They now top the group with 8 points as against 4 by the other teams.
Meanwhile, the Windwards, replying to Somerset’s 139-4, were restricted to122-9 to lose by 17 runs.
Birthday boy Johnson Charles top scored with 36 as leg-spinner Maximillian Waller took 3-16 to give the Englishmen their first win after their one-run loss to Guyana.
Like Somerset, Windwards who beat CCC in the opening match last Monday, leave Antigua with 4 points from two matches with two more to play in Barbados.