Miserable, deplorable, impetuous, immature and indisciplined would best describe the Guyanese batsmen shot selection following their 37-run defeat by defending champions Jamaica in their West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President’s Cup match at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday.
In a match they needed to win to remain in contention for a semi-final berth, Guyana won the toss and inserted the Jamaicans.
After 35 overs the Jamaicans were 92-3 and Jamaica were eventually bowled out for 179 in the 49th over by no means a formidable total.
But the local batsmen made a hash of the target.
The batsmen never really settled after losing Christopher Barnwell off the first delivery.
They did well to recover to 70-3 after 16 overs needing just 110 runs more from 34 overs.
However in a collapse of West Indian-like proportions, Guyana folded meekly for 143 from 44 overs.
By virtue of the win Jamaica are almost assured of a semi-final spot.
Earlier, Jamaica lost Brenton Parchment (06) who was caught by wicketkeeper Darwin Christian off the bowling of Brendon Bess.
Bess next brushed the outside edge of Horace Miller’s bat only to see skipper Travis Dowlin, grass the chance at first slip with Jamaica on 17-1 in the sixth over.
Miller rode his luck well carving Bess through point for four.
He shared in a 49-run, second-wicket partnership with David Bernard Jnr., who struck Bess through the covers for four before being bowled by Mahendra Nagamootoo in the 17th over.
Miller went 19 runs later, bowled by Veerasammy Permaul who displayed lots of control during his spell.
Permaul’s 10 overs only cost 27 runs and he picked up two wickets.
Skipper Tamar Lambert (35) and Danza Hyatt (46) batted sensibly in adding 75 runs for the fourth wicket.
Both Hyatt and Lambert mixed aggression with defence with the latter hitting Narsingh Deonarine back over his head twice for maximums while Hyatt struck the same bowler over mid on for four.
The belated introduction of Barnwell (3-21) rocked the defending champions’ batting line up and they quickly lost the wickets of Lambert, who offered Barnwell a return catch off a slower delivery, Hyatt who was run out and Andre Russell who picked out Permaul at long on off Barnwell.
Thee hunt for quick runs saw the demise of Lorenzo Ingram who was caught by Dowlin at extra cover off Barnwell without scoring; Bevon Browne (05), Keith Hibbert, (who had previously dispatched Barnwell for three fours in the 46th over ) and Gavin Wallace (00) as Jamaica were all out for 179 in the 49th over.
Guyana began their reply some 25 minutes before the lunch break and lost Barnwell (00) off the first delivery, caught by Wallace at third man from a top edged hook off Andrew Richardson while Deonarine was caught at mid off by Miller
from an attempted hook off Russell.
At 5-2 in the second over, Dowlin strolled to the wicket to partner Chandrika and, at the luncheon break, Guyana were 17-2 from four overs, with Dowlin on six and Chandrika seven.
The two batted with control and authority after lunch as they took the fight to the defending champions with Dowlin hitting Russell for three fours, twice through extra cover, followed by an audacious drive through midwicket.
Chandrika also took a liking to Russell, when he too pulled him through midwicket for four.
But, after adding 85 runs for the third wicket, Chandrika was caught by wicketkeeper Hibbert off Wallace while Assad Fudadin fell shortly after for seven.
When Ferrier (06), Dowlin (60) and Crandon (07) were dismissed, Guyana, were suddenly on 120-7 at the end of the 35th over.
The lower order had no response to the spin of Man of the Match Ingram (3-21) and before one could say jack rabbit, it was all over for the home team, who can only salvage a consolation win against Canada in their final preliminary encounter today at the same venue.
Nagamootoo (12) was bowled off the inside edge as he pushed tentatively forward to Ingram, Permaul (02) hoisted Browne to long on whilst hunting quick runs while Christian (14) who in partnership with Nagamootoo found it difficult to get the ball away, was caught by Hibbert off Browne to seal a come-from-behind win for the Jamaicans.
Ingram (3-21), Browne (3-25) and Wallace 2-31 all did the damage with the ball for the defending champions who must have thanked their lucky stars in their huddle after the win as they were facing certain elimination if they had conceded defeat to the hosts.
