Guyana crush Jamaica to lift title

Regional Under-19 Championship

2017 Regional U-19 Champions, Guyana after defeating Jamaica to take the title in Conaree, St. Kitts
2017 Regional U-19 Champions, Guyana after defeating Jamaica to take the title in Conaree, St. Kitts

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Guyana thrashed Jamaica by nine wickets to lift the 2017 Regional Under-19 Championship title on the last day of the final round of matches here Saturday.

Playing at Conaree, Guyana declared at their overnight 250 for eight and quickly bowled out Jamaica for 139 in their second innings.

Raewin Senior top-scored with 31 while Darren Small got 30 but seamer Ronaldo Ali Mohammed (4-25) and left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd (4-67) grabbed four wickets apiece to wreck the innings.

Set 77 for victory, Guyana cruised to their target with Raymond Perez striking an unbeaten 44.

The victory lifted Guyana top of the standings with 68.9 points while Jamaica, who started the game as table leaders 5.5 points clear, ended second on 58.6 points.

At St Paul’s, Barbados beat Windward Islands convincingly by eight wickets to finish third on 50.8 points while Verchilds, Leeward Islands whipped Trinidad and Tobago by 86 runs.

Despite their defeat, defending champions T&T finished fourth on 48.9 points while the Leewards ended fifth on 47 and Windwards last on 25.7.

Trailing by 63 runs on first innings, Jamaica struggled in their second turn at the crease, sliding to 16 for two before Small and captain Brad Barnes with 25, put on 46 to stabilise the innings.

However, both perished within six overs of each other to leave Jamaica on 77 for four and the last six wickets then tumbled for 62 runs.

The result was never in doubt once Perez stroked eight fours in his 61-ball knock, putting on 50 for the first wicket with Javid Karim (17).

Barbados also enjoyed similar dominance, taking the last two Windwards wickets for the addition of nine runs as they were bowled out for 219.

Set 59, Barbados romped to their target with Nico Reifer hitting an unbeaten 28 and opening partner Shian Brathwaite getting 27 in a 56-run first-wicket stand.

Leewards, meanwhile, ended their campaign in style when they converted their overnight 219 for nine into 250 declared in their first innings and then dismissed T&T for 256 in their second innings.

For Trinidad, Christian Thurton top-scored with 70, Leonardo Julien got 48 while Saiba Batoosingh chipped in with 45.

Chasing an improbable 344 for victory, T&T benefitted from a 61-run opening stand between Julien and Leonardo Francis (14).

When both fell to leave T&T on 82 for two, Thurton anchored two key stands to keep the innings rollicking along – adding 55 for the third wicket with captain Navin Bidaisee (22) and a further 49 for the fourth wicket with Batoosingh.

All told, Thurton faced 133 balls and counted two fours and six.