Azeemul Hannif marked his return to the regional first class scene with an unbeaten half-century while new Guyana skipper Narsingh Deonarine scored another as the four-day Carib Beer Series match against the Windward Islands ended in a no-result at the Tanteen Recreation Sports Club ground in Grenada yesterday.
Haniff, who last represented his country against Jamaica in the 2004 season, scored an unbeaten 76 and Deonarine 56 as Guyana ended on 246-5 in the rain-hit encounter.
Haniff batted for 295 minutes, faced 246 balls and struck six boundaries.
Each team received four points.
Despite incessant rainfall which resulted in 270 minutes being lost on the first day, all but forty minutes lost on the second, and 45 minutes lost on the third, the batsmen took the opportunity to record useful knocks with Windwards captain Rawl Lewis scoring a century (101) and Liam Sebastian hitting 90. Junior Murray 44, Andre Fletcher, 40, and Devon Smith 34 all cashed in as the Windwards’ amassed 392-8 declared.
The Windwards had declared some 17 minutes after tea on the penultimate day and the Guyanese lost opener Travis Dowlin for six with the score on 22.
They resumed yesterday on their overnight score of 35 for one and batsmen Krishna Arjune and Assad Fudadin took the score past the half century mark without losing a wicket before Fudadin was caught and bowled by Lewis for 19 with the score on 66.
Guyana lost another wicket without addition to the score when Arjune top-edged a pull off left-arm spinner Dennis George to leave the Guyanese in trouble at 66 for three.
However Deonarine and Haniff came together to halt the slide adding 88 important runs for the fourth wicket.
Their partnership was halted by a 19-minute delay, 40 minutes after lunch, courtesy of the unwelcome guest called rain and when play resumed, Deonarine began to entertain the crowd with some delightful shots. He soon reached his 15th first-class half century before touching a catch to the ‘keeper.
Deonarine struck six fours and one six in his 138-minute knock during which time he faced 81 balls.
He gave one chance when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Junior Murray when on 42 off left-arm pacer Deighton Butler.
Hannif, who was by now playing fluently, reached his fifty partnered by wicket keeper Derwin Christian they took Guyana to tea on 204 for four.
Soon after tea Christian was brilliantly run-out by a direct hit from Darren Sammy for 20 after they had put on 48.
Mahendra Nagamootoo joined Hannif and they took Guyana safely to 5.30 pm when play was called off with the visitors on 246 for five Hannif on 76 not out and Nagamootoo on 13 not out.
Lewis captured 2-45 to be adjudged man-of-the-match while there was a wicket each for Butler and George.
Today is a rest day while the limited overs KFC match against Windwards is scheduled for tomorrow.
