Guyana were battling to avoid a second successive defeat in their second round match against Barbados at the Kensington Oval yesterday.
At the close of the penultimate day’s play Guyana, in their second innings, were 85-3 after dismissing Barbados for 531 approximately 20 minutes before tea yesterday.
Leon Johnson is not out on 21 and skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan, not out on two.
Guyana, bowled out for a paltry 185 in their first innings, slumped to 8-2 losing the wickets of openers Travis Dowlin (7) and Royston Crandon (1) to fast bowler Kemar Roach in the space of nine ball.
Dowlin was caught by Shamarh Brooks pulling at a short rising delivery while Crandon was caught by wicket keeper Carlo Morris as he drove loosely at a delivery outside his off stump.
Johnson was then put down by Suleiman Benn at third slip off the fiery Tino Best with the score reading 28-2.
He and Deonarine decided to fight fire with fire with Deonarine, especially being in a no-nonsense mood.
First he pulled Best forward of square for four, and then followed up with a pugnacious drive through the cover area for another boundary.
Dwayne Smith replaced Best but was dispatched by Deonarine for successive boundaries in one over and when Ryan Hinds was introduced, he was greeted with a wonderful square drive through point, a shot that also brought up the 50 partnership between himself and Johnson.
But shortly before the close Deonarine was caught by Jason Haynes at forward short leg off Benn for 48. He faced 92 balls and struck five fours during his 125 minutes stay at the wicket. Roach has so far taken 2-16 whilst Benn has 1-8.
Earlier, Barbados, resuming on 256-3 lost three wickets for the addition of 155 runs in 30 overs.
They were eventually bowled out for 531 from 129.4 overs, an overall lead of 346 as the Guyanese used eight bowlers in an attempt to dislodge the home team early.
Hinds was lbw to Esaun Crandon off the second ball of the second over after adding eight to his overnight score of an even 100. He batted for a total of 254 minutes, faced 226 balls and struck 13 fours for his 108.
An 86-run partnership between Alcindo Holder (58) and newly appointed West Indies under-19 captain Shamarh Brooks followed.
Holder made 58 from 55 balls with five fours and two sixes while Brooks made 39.
Wicketkeeper Carlo Morris with 70 and Benn with an unbeaten 58 then rubbed further salt into the Guyanese wounds as Barbados propelled their first innings score past the 500 mark.
Morris faced 70 balls and struck eight fours and two sixes in his 110 minutes of batting and posted 91 runs for the seventh wicket with Benn.
Benn, the fifth Barbadian to score a half century in the game faced 73 balls and struck six fours from 112 minutes of batting.
Sarwan was the pick of the bowlers with 2-28 and received support from Mohammed (2-90) and Esaun Crandon (2-125). There was also a wicket each for Johnson (1-17), Deonarine (1-64), Gordon (1-86) and Permaul (1-88).
