Barbados trounce Guyana Malta Supreme by 7 wickets

Feb 14, 2014 Sports

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– face T&T in tomorrow’s final

By Sean Devers in Trinidad

In Association with Digicel, Carib Beer, Giftland Office Max,

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In 2010, at the same venue Guyana squeezed past Barbados in the Caribbean T20 final to qualify for the Champions League in South Africa after the Bajans seemingly had the contest all but wrapped-up.

But last night they did not make the mistake of letting victory slip through their fingers again.
Guyana, without Paul Wintz and Shiv Chanderpaul due to bouts of ‘flu’ lost to Barbados by seven wickets in their NAGICO Regional Super50 semi-final at the Queens Park Oval as the Bajans advanced to the final where they will oppose hosts Trinidad and Tobago, tomorrow.
Not even a promise by the Honorary Consul of the Guyana Consulate in Trinidad and Tobago Ernie Ross of an incentive of US $10,000 for a Guyana win could motivate the Guyanese to a winning performance. A further US $1,500 was up for grabs if a Guyanese won the Man-of-Match. Dwayne Smith eventually got that award.
The Guyanese were on the ropes early in the fight before recovering from 26-4 to reach a challenging 181 all out off 48.4 overs. Narsingh Deonarine returned to form with a courageous 58 and got some support from Christopher Barnwell (37) and Anthony Bramble (34).West Indies pacer Fidel Edwards (4-16) and Jason Holder (2-35) bowled impressively for Barbados on an under prepared track.
Barbados in reply were spearheaded to 182-3 in 46 overs with a savage 37-ball 61 from the 30-year-old Dwayne Smith who equaled his own record of the fastest 50 in Regional 50 over cricket (33balls).
He was well supported by 21-year-old test batsman Kraigg Braithwaite who made a carefully constructed 55 from 122 balls with five fours and Kenroy Williams (40*). Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul took 2-44 for the depleted Guyanese.
Guyana won the toss and elected to bat on a dry track in brilliant sunshine and Trevon Griffith seemed fortunate to survive a confident LBW appeal off Edwards off the first ball of the contest.
Griffith (7) failed to capitalize on his luck and after punching a free-hit from Holder for four, he fended a short lifting delivery from Edwards to short mid-wicket to leave Guyana on 10-1.
Ramnaresh Sarwan, the leading run scorer in the tournament, was LBW for a duck to Edwards at 15-2 but television replay confirmed the ball was missing leg stump. Leon Johnson joined Assad Fudadin and the pair took the score to 22 before Fudadin (4) tried to steer a wide ball from the lively Edwards and edged a catch to Suleiman Benn at second slip.
Johnson is among the most accomplished batsmen in Guyana and has been enjoying a good tournament so far. Watched by a small crowd of mostly Guyanese supporters, Johnson pulled Holder disdainfully to the square-leg boundary but Holder got the last laugh when he trapped the left-hander LBW for seven at 26-4.
Deonarine, who scored Guyana’s last ton at this level in 2009 against Barbados, and his skipper Barnwell tried to repair the early damage with Barnwell nonchalantly stroking Holder back past his ankle for four.

Deonarine, one of four players to be dropped from the West Indies team to face Ireland, was struck on his helmet by Carlos Braithwaite with a wicked bouncer as he fended ungainly on a track which offered assistance to both spin and pace.
The left hander responded with a thumping four over mid-off when Braithwaite pitched up and the 50 was posted in 16.4 overs.
Spinners Benn and Ashley Nurse operated in tandem and they both extracted prodigious turn. However, Barnwell counter attacked and clobbered off-spinner Nurse on the top deck of the Brian Lara pavilion to bring up the 50 partnership while Deonarine’s confidence increased as his innings progressed.
He dispatched Nurse to the square-leg boundary with a magnificent sweep shot as he and Barnwell brought hope to the Guyana camp. But just when he seemed set for a big score Barnwell (37) lofted Kenroy Williams high into the air for Holder to take a running catch. Barnwell struck four fours and six and faced 54 balls.
Royston Crandon joined Deonarine at 91-5 but was completely mesmerized by Benn. Crandon was dropped by the ‘keeper first ball with one that ‘turned square’ before being completely befuddled by an arm-ball and was struck plumb in front before he had scored as Guyana lost two wickets for no run.
Deonarine flicked Smith to the fine leg boundary and got good support from wicketkeeper Bramble who pulled Smith for four. Deonarine, in his 54th Regional 50 overs game for Guyana soon got to his tenth half century at this level and celebrated with a well timed cut for four. Bramble backed away and smashed Brathwaite over mid-off for four as the partnership flourished on the lightening fast ‘Oval’ sward.
Deonarine then cut Holder to point to end his fighting knock and leave Guyana on 146-7. His 58 took 108 balls and was decorated with seven fours and his partnership with Bramble was 55.
Bramble took on the responsibility of senior batsman and the Berbician used his feet to dump Benn over long-off for six. He and Permaul took their team to 159-7 off 45 overs when rain stopped play at 17:07hrs.
When play resumed 23 minutes later, Permaul hit Benn for a six over mid-wicket and Bramble square drove the left-arm spinner for four before Permaul pulled a full toss from Holder into the stand as the Guyanese stepped on the gas.
Bramble (34) was run out at 181-8, Permaul (19) was run out next ball and Edwards had Beaton (0) caught by Benn, as the last three Guyana wickets tumbled for no run. When Barbados began their run-chase, Smith took three boundaries off Ronsford Beaton and when Permaul was introduced he pounced on him with a brutal exhibition of power-hitting, hammering the spinner for consecutive fours before clobbering him for a six in his first over which cost 16 runs.
Brathwaite batted with lots of common sense and was the silent partner as Smith went on a rampage on the slow track.  Devendra Bishoo was introduced in the ninth over and it made little difference to Smith who swept him for four and a massive six to silence  the Guyanese supporters.
The pugnacious Smith hit Permaul for his third six to gallop to his 50 from just 33 balls. Permaul made the breakthrough when he had the dangerous Smith LBW at 81-1 but by then the Guyanese were looking a deflated bunch of players.
Kevin Stout (1) was caught and bowled by Permaul and all of a sudden Guyana were back in the game with Barbados on 83-2 but Bishoo eased the pressure with a short ball which Brathwaite rocked and caressed majestically to the cover boundary.
Jonathon Carter, one of three batsmen with a ton in this tournament, joined Braithwaite but did not last long; pushing forward to Bishoo, he was surprisingly given LBW for nine at 110-3.
But Williams, who hit two fours and a six in his unbeaten 40 and the solid Braithwaite, who registered his maiden 50 overs fifty from 113 balls with five fours, ensured their team got the victory with a sensible batting display, adding 72 in an unbroken fourth wicket stand.

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