Feisty Guyana Romp with Pakistan in exciting 7-run defeat at Bourda

Jul 12, 2013 Sports

By Sean Devers
An International team returned to Bourda for the first time since 2006 and a large, raucous and colourful working day crowd threw their passionate support behind the Guyana team as they hunted down the 246-9 in 50 overs made by Pakistan before falling seven runs short with two balls remaining in the final over in an exciting finish.
It was ideal preparation for the visitors after play began at 09:00hrs and was stopped briefly due to rain as Keon Joseph bowled with lively pace on a flat track and lush green outfield.

Guyana’s top scorer Narsingh Deonarine hits a six during his innings at Bourda Yesterday.

Left-arm spinner, Skipper Veerasammy Permaul and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo then tested the Pakistan batsmen with on-target bowling in mostly sweltering heat before a confident half century from left-hander Narsingh Deonarine led the spirited Guyana fight back.
Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan quickly trapped Anthony Bramble leg before for a duck with the score on one and the South Americans were off to a horrendous start.
Trevon Griffith (15) was then bowled by Irfan to leave the home team on 18-2 before former West Indies Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan (27) and Leon Johnson (31) put Guyana back on course with a 54-run third wicket partnership before Sarwan edged a catch to the Keeper off Abdur Rehman at 72-3.
Johnson, whose confident innings included four fours and a disdainfully hooked six over square-leg, was next to go when he was LBW to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for the first of his five wickets.
From 109-4 the locals slipped to 153-6 with both Assad Fudadin (11) and Chris Barnwell (5) falling cheaply.
When Deonarine played over a delivery from Ajmal at 170-7 after hitting five fours and two sixes from 42 balls and Permaul fell for a duck without addition to the score, it appeared the noisy fans were in for a disappointing day at the world famous venue which has seen some epic battles in its 32 Tests and 13 ODIs.
But the dreadlocked Steven Jacobs again proved he is a value asset to Guyana in limited overs cricket with a cameo 27 which included three sixes. Jacobs hit the biggest six of the contest when he dumped an out of sorts Afridi high over where the Clive Lloyd stand once stood and into the street beyond the deep mid wicket boundary. The Malteenoes right-hander then celebrated with a thumping straight six in the next over off Rehman to keep Guyana in the chase.
Lower order batsman Bishoo, who will play for the Barbados Franchise in the upcoming CPL and whose batting has improved tremendously, joined forces with Jacobs to inspire real hope among the close to 2000 fans with a 41-run partnership.
After Jacobs was leg before to the wily Ajmal at 211-9 Bishoo and Paul Wintz (9*) kept the crowd happy with an entertaining 28-run last wicket partnership before Bishoo was bowled by Ajmal with victory eight runs away.
Ajmal finished 5-39 and Irfan 3-27 for Pakistan who had earlier been given a solid 62 run opening start by Ahmed Shehzad (68) and Nasir Jamshed (19).
Jamshed was bowled by Permaul and when Shehzad was brilliantly stumped by Bramble off a perfectly flighted leg break from Bishoo at 116-3 after stroking nine fours in his innings, nobody except Afridi (31) reached 25 for the visitors.
Wahab Riaz (23), Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (22) and Asad Shafiq (22) all wasted good starts before Umar Amin (17*) and Rehman (1*) added 15 for the last wicket to ensure Pakistan batted out the 50 overs.
Permaul 3-27, Bishoo 3-39 and Joseph 2-52, did the bulk of the damage with the ball for Guyana.