Led by controlled spin bowling from Man -of-the-match Liam Sebastien and fiery fast bowling from Nelon Pascal the Windward Islands scored a shocking three- wicket upset win over hosts Guyana in their West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President’s Cup match at the Blairmont Community Centre ground yesterday.
Scores in the match; Guyana 170 all out from 26.2 overs, Windward Islands 174-7 from 26.4 overs.
Sent in on a good batting wicket, damp outfield and hazy conditions in a game which was reduced to 27-overs-a-side due to early morning rain, Guyana found themselves in a spot of bother at 16-2 after West Indies under-19 fast bowler Nelon Pascal removed Christopher Barnwell (5) and Narsingh Deonarine (2) in the third over.
Things could have been worse for the host, when Travis Dowlin, who opened the batting with Barnwell, was dropped by Devon Smith at cover off Deighton Butler when on 25 and Guyana 47-2 in the eight over.
He responded by guiding Sammy through point for three to post the team’s 50, and must have breathed a sigh of relief when wicketkeeper Linden James just failed to get his gloves onto a thick outside edge from Royston Crandon two balls later.
Dowlin continued to be positive in his approach and got to his 50 when Darren Sammy, who attempted to run him out from short midwicket, missed his throw at the stumps and the ball went for four. He had faced 45 balls and struck five fours and at 81-2 in the 14th over the recovery was underway.
But an ankle injury necessitated a runner and Christopher Barnwell was thrust into that role.
Crandon, who had hoisted Sebastian over long on for four, was dropped by Devon Smith at short fine leg two deliveries later.
Guyana was then 92-2 in the 16th over and Crandon was on 23.
Crandon celebrated the life, by hoisting Shane Shillingford over midwicket for six and followed that shot by hitting the next delivery down to long on for two to post the Guyana 100.
Crandon was not done yet. He struck a low full toss from Shillingford over extra cover for four, before sending the final delivery of the over for six as the Guyanese took advantage of the final power play which was taken at the start of the over.
That over had cost the Windwards 20 runs and at 112-2 Guyana’s recovery was complete.
Dowlin, though, was being hampered by the injury to his right ankle and, after adding 103 runs for the second wicket from 15.3 overs with Crandon, he was caught by Lewis diving to his right at mid off for 59. He faced 63 balls and struck seven fours.
Crandon duly reached his half century when he hoisted Sammy over midwicket for his third six.
He had faced 46 balls and struck two fours and three sixes. However, when Crandon was stumped by James off Sebastien in the next over, Guyana from a comfortable position of 134-3, folded for 169 all out as Sebastien ripped through the middle and lower order to end with 5-28 from six overs.
Pascal lent excellent support with 4-33 from five overs while Sammy took the other wicket to fall, that of Veerasammy Permaul who was caught by Sebastien on the midwicket boundary for one in the final over.
Guyana had lost their final seven wickets for 36 runs.
The Windward Islands got off to a bad start losing Miles Bascombe (0), who was run out by substitute Brendon Bess at long on when he lazily attempted to regain his ground after running a couple from a Devon Smith drive to that position.
Guyana gained a toehold when Johnson Charles fell for 27 and Lewis (10) was caught by Barnwell on the deep midwicket boundary to leave the Windwards on 60-3 after nine overs.
But the 27-year-old former West Indies opener Smith was still there.
He got to his 50, when he turned Deonarine to wide mid off for a single.
He had faced 53 balls and struck two fours and two sixes as the Windwards reached 115-3 after 19 overs needing a further 66 runs from eight overs to record their first victory in this year’s tournament.
Smith and Sammy (38) opted to take the final power play at the commencement of the 21st over bowled by Ferrier, in which the latter played a magnificent square cut off the second delivery to a vacant cover point position, as the tension mounted both on and off the field, where a vociferous crowd was throwing their support behind the home team.
Sammy brought it down to a run-a-ball from the last five overs, when he took 12 runs off Crandon’s sixth and final over, including two fours through cover and point off successive deliveries.
At that stage the Windwards were 141-3 from 22 overs, with Sammy on 34 and Smith 53.
But Permaul prised out Sammy, whom he had caught by Crandon at mid off as he attempted to hit a well flighted delivery over the top in the 23rd over.
The Stanford Superstars millionaire struck four fours from the 35 balls he faced, whilst adding 85 runs for the fourth wicket with Smith from 13.3 overs.
With the Windwards needing 19 runs from the final three overs wicket-keeper James held out to Barnwell on the boundary off Steven Jacobs while Bess executeda a magnificent run out to get rid of Sebastien in the penultimate over.
With nine runs needed for victory from the final over, Nagamootoo who was leading the team in the absence of Dowlin, placed the ball in the hands of Jacobs.
After being dispatched through midwicket for four by Smith, Jacobs struck off the very next ball as Smith was adjudged lbw for a well played 63 which came from 68 balls and included two sixes and three fours.
His efforts were not in vain as Kevin James (06*) hoisted his first delivery from Jacobs over midwicket for six, to steer the Windward Islands to a three wicket victory over Guyana who defeated them by three wickets at the Albion Sports Complex last year.
Permaul (2-21) and Jacobs 2-32 were the principal wicket takers for Guyana who will have to defeat defending champions Jamaica and Canada in their two remaining preliminary round matches in order to qualify for the semi finals.
Today is a rest day in the competition, but all nine teams will be involved in a Drugs and Drug Abuse seminar organized by the WICB from noon.
