BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Purposeful bowling trumped half-centuries from Zaheer Mohammed and Steve Jacobs, propelling Barbados to a 93-run victory over Guyana in the Regional 4-Day Tournament today here.
Miguel Cummins, off-spinner Ashley Nurse and Christopher Jordan equally shared nine wickets, as the Guyanese were bowled out for 284 in their second innings on the final day of their second round match at Kensington Oval.
Cummins ended with 3-55 from 14 overs, Nurse grabbed 3-59 from 25.4 overs and Jordan finished with 3-68 from 16 overs, as the Barbadians ended their winless spell in regional competitions spread over the last two months.
Zaheer Mohammed, a replacement for Veerasammy Permaul, when the Guyana captain was excused from the match to join the West Indies team preparing for this week’s One-day International series against Zimbabwe led the way with a resolute 58.
Steven Jacobs scored 51, Rajindra Chandrika and Leon Johnson made 40 apiece, and Derwin Christian got 37 to prop up the Guyana batting.
Nurse formalised the victory, when he bowled Keon Joseph for 13 about 15 minutes past the scheduled tea break.
The result meant that Barbados earned 12 points – their sum total for the season that puts them third behind Windward Islands and Jamaica – and Guyana failed to collect a point – leaving them fourth on six.
Guyana, chasing 378 for victory, started the day on 94 for one, but they were set back early, when Rajindra Chandrika was caught at gully off Javon Searles without adding to his overnight score of 40 in the second over of the day.
They stumbled further, when Nurse bowled left-hander Leon Johnson off the inside edge for 40, leaving the Guyanese 109 for three.
The visitors however, continued to lose wickets and were 173 for six at lunch, after Nurse had Assad Fudadin caught at mid-off for three before Jordan trapped Christopher Barnwell lbw for eight and had Jacobs was caught at deep mid-wicket.
Jacobs, whose 50 came from 63 balls with a firm straight drive off Jordan, struck half-dozen fours and one six from 65 balls in 97 minutes at the crease before he was dismissed about 15 minutes before lunch.
After the interval, Mohammed and Christian knuckled down and frustrated the Barbadians for just over 1 ½ hours. They put on 88 for the seventh wicket.
The pendulum swung firmly Barbados’ way, when Christian was caught at mid wicket essaying an ill-advised cross-batted stroke, triggering a mini collapse.
Devendra Bishoo was caught low at first slip off Cummins for a duck and Ronsford Beaton was lbw to Cummins for one in the space of 12 deliveries, as Guyana slipped to 261 for nine.
In between, Mohammed reached his 50 from 94 balls, when he turned Cummins into square leg for a single.
Joseph spent half-hour at the crease, further adding to the Barbadians’ frustrations before Nurse brought the fun to an end.
The two sides meet in the Regional Super50 Tournament in a daytime match on Wednesday at the same venue.
Barbados face Combined Campuses & Colleges a few kilometres north at the Three Ws Oval in the next round of the R4D, starting the following Wednesday, when Guyana meet Windwards at the Arnos Vale Multiplex in St. Vincent.
