Regional U-19 three-day cricket …Guyana are Champions!!

Aug 02, 2014 Sports

---

Set 193 to avoid an innings defeat T&T stumbled to an embarrassing innings and 41-run loss as host Guyana claimed Championship honours first the first time in seven years when the last day of third and final round of the Regional under-19 three-day cricket contest ended at Bourda yesterday.
Leaders Guyana began the day knowing that either the Leeward Islands or Jamaica could emerge 2014 champs if the home team failed to beat one of the weakest T&T teams to play at this level.

At 13:54hrs, when off-spinner Sharaz Ramcharran had Jemeel Maniram caught and bowled for an attacking 39, aided by three fours and a six, to end a frustrating 48-run last wicket stand, Guyana, the most successful team in the tournament, had dethroned Jamaica as new Champions since Barbados defeated the Leewards and the other game ended in a draw.
T&T catapulted from 62 without loss to be bowled out for 152 as only Maniram, Amir Jangoo (35) and Skipper Jeremy Solozano (22) reached 15 in a pathetic batting display on a flat Bourda track.
Leg-spinner Steven Sankar (3-42) and Ramcharran (3-25) were Guyana’s leading wicket-takers in the tournament with 15 wickets each, while impressive fast bowler Kemo Paul (2-32) supported with the ball yesterday.
Scores: Guy (310-9 dec), T&T (117 & 152).
T&T began their second innings in hazy sunshine and were given a solid foundation by Solozano and Jangoo, their leading run scorer and only centurion in the tournament.
Both left-handers were willing to use their feet to the spinners, who generally bowled too quickly and although the odd ball bounced and turned, the Guyanese bowlers toiled for the first hour without success as T&T reached 60 without loss.
Sankar bowled one from way behind the crease to bowl Solozano who missed an expansive cut as the breakthrough was made at 62-1, 72 minutes into the day’s play.
The set Jangoo was dismissed a minute later without addition to the score when he drove off-spinner Daimon Waldron to mid-off while Brian Christmas was stumped for a duck by Kemol Savory, arguable the best keeper on show in the six-team tournament, five runs later.
Brandon Jaggernauth was bowled by Sankar for one at 66-4, Camillo Carimbocas (13) edged a catch to the Keeper at 77-5 and Justin Joseph (1) lofted a catch to Chanderpaul at deep mid-wicket off Ramcharran without addition to the score.
By Lunch, T&T were on the ropes at 80-6, still 113 runs away from making Guyana bat again.
Soon after the interval, Askay Homraj held a well judged running catch at long-on to remove Anderson Phillip (3) as T&T, who last won the title in St Lucia in 2010, slumped to 81-7.
Kemo Paul was brought back for a final burst after bowling with genuine pace on Thursday, and in his first over, got one to move away from Samuel Roopnarine (10) which touched the edge on its way to Savory at 98-9 before the 16 year-old Essequibian pacer rocked back the stumps of Jesse Bootan (4) at 104-9.
The game was done and dusted after a few lusty blows from the last pair off Seetal and Maniram had brought up the 150 with entertaining batting before Ramcharran dismissed Maniram. Seetal hit a six in his unbeaten 14.
This is the 14th time that Guyana hosted the competition since 1970 and the first time since 2011. Guyana has now won the title on home soil seven times (1970, 1976, 1985, 1992, 1997, 2006 & 2014) after winning the inaugural Regional Youth series in 1968.
Coach Adrian Amsterdam said the championship victory was good for Guyana’s cricket and came at a time when there were several negatives affecting issues cricket in this country.
“I must say congratulations to the boys for finally winning a Regional title after so long (7 years). Even though the weather affected our turf preparation and fielding drills, we were afforded the use of the indoor nets at LBI by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and we must thank all those who played a role leading up to our success today (yesterday),” Amsterdam said.
The former Berbice batsman added that although he feels the competition was too short, “A win was a win since we could only play the teams that were fixed to play us. We still have a lot of work to do in the one-day format I am hoping for positive batting and tight bowling from Monday.”
Amsterdam joked that the shot selection of most of the batsmen and flat bowling of the spinners suggested that the players were preparing for the 50-over version in the three-day tournament.
“With players like (Shemron) Hetmyer, (Brian) Sattaur, (Askay) Homraj and Kemo (Paul) we have batsmen who can score quickly and bat around (Taignarine) Chanderpaul who is not one to give his wicket away,” Amsterdam concluded.
Meanwhile, the 50-over version of the competition, which began in 1998 in Trinidad, starts on Monday and Guyana, who have never won a One-Day title, face the Leewards at Enmore in the first round.
Barbados face defending Champions Jamaica at Bourda and ICC Americas oppose Trinidad & Tobago at DCC. The Windwards draws the bye in the first round.

---

---