NAGICO Regional Super50 cricket…Jamaica beat Guyana Malta Supreme by 10 runs, take top spot in Zone A

Feb 09, 2014 Sports

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By Sean Devers in Trinidad  In Association with Digicel, Carib Beer,

Giftland Office Max, Payless Variety Store &  Leisure Inn & Car Rentals

Twenty-five year-old Nkrumah Bonner fashioned a high-class undefeated 122 to lead Jamaica to a challenging 247-7, leaving the Guyana Malta Supreme to get their highest total against Jamaica to win and top the zone.

Bonner became the 12th batsman to score a ton against Guyana and only the third Jamaican to do so after Xavier Marshall and Robert Samuels. His exhilarating knock included seven fours and three sixes from148 balls and his second fifty took just 31 balls.
But he got little support with nobody else reaching 30. Ronsford Beaton took 2-58 from eight expensive overs, while Veerasammy Permaul had 2-45 for Guyana who responded with 233 all out in 49.5 overs as they failed to surpass the 236-7 they made to beat Jamaica in 2005.
Shiv Chanderpaul top-scored with 65 but he took 101 balls and 36.3 overs to do it while the usually aggressive Trevon Griffith laboured for a 75-ball 37 in an opening stand of 98. And with Chris Barnwell and Leon Johnson out of the way after failing for the first time in the competition, Guyana lost their way.
Left arm Test pacer Sheldon Cotterell finished with 3-62 while Andre Russell had 3-51.
Jamaica won the toss and batted in sunny conditions on a track with a tinge of green, and a fast outfield.
Guyana, who made three forced changes; leaving out Ramnaresh Sarwan and Narsingh Deonarine due to ‘flu’ along with Paul Wintz who injured his hand during practice, gave Robin Bacchus his debut, while Royston Crandon was brought in for his first game of the tournament and Chanderpaul returned after a leg injury.
Horace Miller pulled Beaton for four but then got a beauty that left him from the Montserrat born Guyanese and touched a catch to Wicket-Keeper Anthony Bramble to leave the score on 14-1.
Bonner was greeted with a nasty lifting delivery first ball but he and 20-year-old left hander John Campbell were tested by the 21-year-old Beaton, who bowled with raw pace and got good ‘new ball’ support from Skipper Barnwell.
Deliveries consistently beat the bat and when Campbell (10) edged one that left him to the Keeper at 25-2 it did not come as a surprise.
Beaton tucked up Bonner, who fended one out of his rib cage while the burly Tamar Lambert caressed Barnwell to the cover boundary when he over-pitched, while Bonner stroked Beaton through mid-on for four as the Jamaicans looked to counter punch.
After 10 overs the score was 35-2 as the third wicket pair tried to consolidate the position before Assad Fudadin removed Lambert (7) to another catch by the Keeper as Jamaica slipped to 45-3.
Jamaica lost its next wicket at 97-4 when Andrew McCarthy who struck three boundaries in 27, was stupendously taken at slip by Johnson off left-arm spinner Permaul.

The 100 took 31.2 overs before Carlton Baugh (8) drilled a short ball from Permaul to Barnwell at cover with the score 134-5 to the delight of a small but vocal Guyana support group energetically waving golden Arrow Heads flags.
Bonner continued to flourish even as Beaton sent back Dave Bernard (8) at 152-6 and Devendra Bishoo removed Andrew Russell (14) at 170-7.
Bonner danced into Beaton and clobbered him for six over cover and crashed him for four to move to 98. He then became the third batsman to register a century in the tournament when he reached his second ton at this level. His first fifty had taken 117 balls.
Nikita Miller, who finished unbeaten on 20, added 73 with Bonner, who played an array of audacious sweeps in their unfinished partnership as the last 10 overs produced 104 runs.
When the Guyanese began their reply, 39-year-old Chanderpaul stroked left-arm pacer Sheldon Cotterell down the ground and nonchalantly flicked the solider for six and the crowd went wild.
Griffith climbed on his toes and punched Jerome Taylor majestically to the point boundary while Chanderpaul dumped Bernard for a six back over his head off a free hit.
The Guyana 50 was posted in 10.5 overs and Chanderpaul celebrated with a flicked boundary off Bernard while Griffith cleverly ‘glanced’ the bowler for four to fine-leg in the same over.
The left-handed Griffith swept Miller high over square-leg for six but sliced Russell to third man with the opening pair 12 short of their second century stand of the competition. Griffith’s 37 lasted 75 balls and included three fours and a six.
Debutant Bacchus joined his GCC club mate Chanderpaul and smashed Russell for four with a lovely cut. However, Bacchus (6) edged the Test pacer to the Keeper next to leave Guyana on 96-3 to bring Leon Johnson to the crease.  Johnson swiveled and pulled Russell for four before Chanderpaul, in his 84th Regional 50 overs game, soon got to his 19th 50-over fifty for Guyana from 78 balls with his second boundary.
Johnson (16) was LBW to Lambert at 124-3 to bring Barnwell to the crease and Chanderpaul exploded with a gigantic six off Miller to bring the crowd to life.  Barnwell (11) thumped Campbell for consecutive fours before he missed a juicy full toss from the off-spinner and was bowled as Guyana, slipping behind the required asking rate, slumped to 145-4.
Fudadin joined Chanderpaul who soon tucked a ball off his hip into hands of short square leg off Cotterell 152-5 leaving Guyana to get 92 from 81 balls. His 65 lasted 101 balls and was laced with two fours and three sixes.
Fudadin and Crandon tried to revive the innings by taking the score to 177 before Crandon (13) was run out. Bramble joined Fudadin who was caught off Cotterell for 21 with the South Americans slumping to 192-7.   Bramble (14) was bowled by Cotterell and Bishoo (6) had his stumps disturbed by Russell at 216-9 but Permaul hammered Cotterell for six and Beaton also hit the pacer for six to keep the fans interested.
But in the end 15 from the last over was just too big a task for the last pair as Beaton was run out off the penultimate ball.
Jamaica topped the zone and will oppose the runner up of zone B on Wednesday, while Guyana will take on the winner of zone B on Thursday.

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