Narsingh Deonarine’s fifth first-class century, a half century from opener Christopher Barnwell and useful scores of 40 from Assad Fudadin, 39 from Devendra Bishoo, 35 from Royston Crandon and 33 from Leon Johnson saw Guyana to their highest score this season of 402 all out.
The effort by the batsmen helped Guyana avoid following on but could not prevent Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) from taking first innings points at the end the penultimate day’s play of the seventh round regional four-day tournament at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, yesterday.
Replying to T&T mammoth first innings score of 530-8 declared, of which Lendl Simmons made an imposing 167, Guyana were dismissed for 402, after being 291-8.
The end total was in large measure due to a resilient ninth wicket partnership of 108 between Deonarine and Bishoo who each recorded their highest first-class scores of 143 and 39 respectively. Imran Khan (4-92) and Amit Jaggernauth (3-97) with support from Sherwin Ganga (2-25), were the principal wicket takers for T&T, who, batting a second time were 14-1.
Resuming on their overnight score of 145-2, with Johnson and Deonarine on 19 and 15 respectively, Guyana progressed to 166 before they lost Johnson who was caught at forward short leg by Kieron Pollard off Amit Jaggernauth.
He faced 99 deliveries and struck five fours whilst adding 60 runs for the third wicket with Deonarine in 118 minutes.
Skipper Travis Dowlin, dropped off the second delivery he faced by his opposite number Daren Ganga at cover, failed to make the most of the let-off and was caught by Pollard off Jaggernauth for one.
Deonarine reached his half century from 130 balls and struck three fours and one six and at lunch, Guyana were 218-4 with Deonarine on 51 and Royston Crandon 21.
After lunch, the home team’s batting collapsed and they lost four wickets for 119 runs on good batting wicket though a bit slow.
Royston Crandon added 67 runs for the fifth wicket with Deonarine but, attempting to cut at a delivery from fast bowler Atiba Alert, he got an edge which wicketkeeper Gibran Mohammed collected gleefully.
Steven Jacobs (12), Darwin Christian (00) and Esaun Crandon (12) followed in that order and from a fighting position of 172-4, Guyana, who are without a Regional first class title since 2005, were 291-8.
Deonarine though was still there unbeaten on 80 and looking to go all the way this time.
Khan removed Jacobs and Christian, who scored his maiden first class ton against Jamaica in the last round, in the space of three balls.
Deonarine duly reached his fourth Regional century and fifth first class overall in the second over after tea, when he pulled Khan through midwicket for four.
He had faced 233 balls striking six fours and three sixes.
He was dropped by Mohammed off Rampaul two overs later, responding with an audacious drive off the back foot which sped through the covers for four, forcing Ganga to claim the new ball 20 minutes after tea.
Guyana duly avoided the indignity of following on for a third time this season when Deonarine drove Sherwin Ganga down to long on for a single, which took his personal score to 130.
Bishoo was on 35, and their ninth wicket partnership was worth 90.
But Daren Ganga dropped Bishoo (35) at 381-8 at cover off the bowling of his sibling Sherwin allowing the pair to reach their century partnership from 164 balls.
Bishoo was eventually adjudged lbw to Sherwin Ganga two overs later while Deonarine’s long vigil came to an end in Ganga’s next over, when the batsman was caught by Pollard on the long on boundary as Trinidad ended with a first innings lead of 128.
Deonarine batted for 286 balls and struck nine fours and four sixes.
Bating a second time, T&T innings got off to a positive start, when Simmons hit the first delivery from Esaun Crandon (1-12) through forward square leg for four only to be lbw three balls later.
At the close T&T were 14-1 from three overs, with Samuel Badree and Justin Guillen the not out batsmen on 9 and one respectively, enjoying a lead of 142 runs with nine second innings wickets in hand, heading into the final day today when play resumes at 10am.
