A Man-of-the-Match innings of 70 from captain Ramnaresh Sarwan led Guyana to a three-wicket victory over the Windward Islands in their opening 2007/2008 KFC limited overs match at the Albion Community Centre ground yesterday.
Playing in front of a capacity crowd, Sarwan started cautiously before exploding in a third wicket-partnership of 83 off 137 balls with his West Indies team-mate Narsingh Deonarine.
Chasing the Windwards’ 179-9 off their quota of 50 overs, Guyana reached 180-7 in 48.5 overs with Deonarine contributing 29 from 70 balls with three fours and one huge six struck over long off, off the bowling of Shane Shillingford.
Sarwan and Deonarine came together with the score 20-2 off 6.2 overs after Guyana had lost both openers.
Sewnarine Chattergoon was caught by Shillingford off Darren Sammy for 11 made off 19 balls and Royston Crandon made six off 16 balls before being caught by Liam Sebastien at backward square-leg flicking at the fiery Nelon Pascal.
Pascal bowled with lots of pace on a flat Albion wicket but it was Windwards’ skipper Rawle Lewis who was to get the breakthrough removing Deonarine who was caught at long off by Sebastien as he attempted to hit Lewis out of the ground.
Sarwan and Assad Fudadin continued to frustrate the opposition with some sensible batting and running between the wickets.
Sarwan was dropped by Andre Fletcher at deep backward square hooking at a short delivery from Pascal much to the disbelief of the Islanders, but joy to the home supporters.
But in Pascal’s next over, he induced Sarwan to hook at another short ball, and this time Sammy was waiting and he calmly took the catch to the relief of his teammates.
Sarwan’s innings lasted 102 balls and he struck five boundaries.
Following his dismissal, the home team needlessly lost Fudadin, who was caught by the substitute Heron Campbell at cover for 18 from 33 balls off the bowling of Gary Mathurin and wicket-keeper Derwin Christian, who was caught by Donwell Hector for 19 which lasted for 17 balls and included one four off Sammy in the penultimate over.
However, Neil Mc Garrell and Mahendra Nagamootoo held their nerves and saw Guyana to 180-7 with seven balls to spare.
Sammy 2-36 from 9.5 overs, Pascal 2-43 from his 10 overs and Mathurin and Lewis one each for 17 and 35 runs respectively were the wicket-takers.
Earlier, Windwards were asked to take first strike on a flat Albion track after losing the toss and quickly found themselves in a spot of bother with the score on six in the fourth over when they lost West Indies opening batsman Devon Smith who got a thin edge through to Neil Mc Garrell from an Esaun Crandon delivery that pitched and left him. A 40-run second-wicket partnership between Andre Fletcher (17 from 57 balls, 2×4) and Miles Bascombe (27 from 45 balls 2×4, 1×6) in 10.2 overs saw a mini recovery but with the departure of Fletcher caught at square-leg by Fudadin, who sprinted from midwicket off Crandon and the introduction of the slower bowlers, the Windwards batsmen found runs hard to come by.
Sammy, who was given three chances by the Guyanese fielders, made 58 before being eighth out as he attempted to up the scoring late in the innings.
He had posted his 50 off 72 balls and counted one four and a six that went out of the ground off Mc Garrell before the bowler got the last laugh bowling his man as he attempted to hit a straight ball over mid wicket but only succeeded in playing around it.
Prior to his dismissal, Sammy had shared a 60-run, fourth wicket partnership with Donwell Hector who made 37 from 66 balls with two fours. No other batsmen posted any creditable score as Royston Crandon bowled his off spinners superbly to the delight of his captain to claim 3-32. His brother Esaun also bowled impressively to claim 2-22 from his ten overs, with Mc Garrell also taking 2-40 from his ten and Deonarine 1-31 from eight.
Guyana will next take on the Combined Colleges at the National Stadium, Providence whilst the Windwards will oppose Trinidad and Tobago at Bourda.
Both matches are billed for tomorrow.
