By Calvin Roberts
At Yorkshire Cricket Ground, Barbados
Compliments of Smalta, Cummings Electrical, Lifetime Realty, P&P Insurance, Cellular Plus and Hanes (Guyana) Limited
A defiant 85 from captain Eugene La Fleur prevented Jamaica from scoring an outright win over the defending champions as their fourth round match in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)/TCL sponsored 2008 under-19 tournament ended in a tense draw at the Yorkshire Cricket Club ground, yesterday.
La Fleur went to the wicket with his team precariously perched on 33-3 after lunch, and by the time he was dismissed at 5:18pm, Guyana were 167-8 with just under two overs to go for the day’s play.
Earlier, Jamaica started the final day on 47-1 and a lead of 187 with Nick Blackwood (17) and Courtney Allen (1) being the not out batsmen.
They eventually declared their innings closed 54 minutes into the day’s play with the score on 115-6 and a lead of 255, setting Guyana a target of 256 to record a come-from-behind victory.
Scores: Jamaica 354-9 and 115-6 declared, Guyana 214 and 167-8
Jamaica lost Allen, who was caught by Dillon Heyliger at long on for two off the bowling of Seon Hetmyer who bowled the first over in the absence of Keon Joseph (sore hamstring) with the score on 49 and were soon 67-3 when Kennar Lewis (7) was adjudged lbw to Heyliger in the sixth over of the day.
Blackwood then fought fire with fire. He hit Hetmyer for three boundaries, two through midwicket and one through point after being mis-stumped by wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble when on 23 in Heyliger’s previous over.
He brought up his 50 in fine style by hitting his 59th delivery, bowled by Hetmyer, over mid wicket for six.
He counted five fours and that six whilst batting for 91 minutes and then brought up his team’s 100th run with a six off the next delivery that pushed the score to 104-3 and the lead to 244.
Jamaica lost John Campbell who was run out by Hetmyer as he attempted a cheeky single to point off the first delivery from Herman Latcha for 14 with Jamaica on 112 and Blackwood followed soon after when he was bowled by Latcha for 57. He faced 61 balls and struck six fours and two sixes whilst batting for 100 minutes.
Wicketkeeper Maverick Perry, who in partnership with captain Andre Creary posted 177 runs for the sixth wicket in the first innings, did not hang around long enough to cause any concern to the defending champions.
He was dismissed by Latcha off the first ball, caught by Jonathan Foo at midwicket to leave Jamaica on 115-6 and a lead of 255 at which point the declaration came.
Latcha, who will be on a hat trick when next he is given the ball in this year’s tournament, ended with 2-6 whilst Heyliger had 2-50 and Hetmyer 1-35.
Guyana, set a target of 256 from a minimum of 60 overs plus the final hour’s play began their run chase with some degree of luck as opener Royan Fredericks survived a confident appeal for lbw from left arm fast bowler Romeo Dunka off the second ball of the innings.
But Fredericks did not make the most of the reprieve and was bowled by a delivery Gifton Wray that swung and kept low which hit his off stump. He made five and departed with Guyana on 7.
Teon Griffith was then lbw to Dunka as he went back to a delivery that pitched on the middle stump and kept low and suddenly the defending champions were 7-2 at the start of the third over.
Jonathan Foo, who came off the mark by steering Dunka past the outstretched hands of Campbell at gully for a boundary was next to go bowled by a delivery that kept low from a good length for eight and Guyana had slipped to 25-3.
Worse was to come when Jeetendra Sookdeo, who flicked Wray off his pads and through backward square leg for four, collided with Dunka as he tried to make his ground after hitting the ball down the ground and was going through for the single.
He retired hurt and was assisted off the field by players from both teams.
At lunch, which was taken immediately after, Guyana were 33-3 with Sookdeo on 17 and Hetmyer yet to score. Dunka had so far taken 2-14 for Jamaica.
After lunch, Hetmyer was magnificently caught by wicketkeeper Perry to leave Guyana shakily placed on 37-4.
Heyliger was next to go pulling a full toss from Jermaine Blackwood hard and low back to the bowler.
He made 16 from 33 balls and struck two fours and one six whilst batting for 65 minutes adding 44 runs for the fifth wicket with La Fleur.
At tea, Guyana were 95-5 with La Fleur on 40 and Bramble 4.
After tea, Bramble pulled Dunka over midwicket for six to raise the team’s 100 from 38.3 overs, but in his attempt to hit an over pitched delivery from Blackwood over long off, he only succeeded in hitting the ball straight back to the bowler when on 13. Herman Latcha was then caught by Kennar Lewis at forward short leg off Nelson.
But then the heavens opened up at 3:39pm with Guyana staring down the barrel of defeat at 117-7 from 46.5 overs with La Fleur on 47 and Joseph 1.
Seven overs were lost due to the rain intervention and when play resumed at eight minutes after four, in slightly overcast conditions, the diminutive La Fleur brought up his 50 by hitting Blackwood through point for two. He had faced 115 balls and struck six fours whilst bating for 166 minutes.
When umpire Ricardo Braithwaite signalled the start of the final hour’s play, Guyana were 132-7 with La Fleur on 57 and Joseph 3.
La Fleur was eventually trapped lbw by part time spinner Allen with a delivery that kept low for 85 ending a defiant eighth wicket partnership between himself and Joseph that realized 52 runs scored in 78 minutes.
La Fleur faced 176 balls and batted for 278 minutes hitting 13 sweetly timed fours in his face-saving innings.
At 167-8 Guyana were in deep trouble but Sookdeo returned from the hospital to partner Joseph and see their team to the safety of a draw when the umpires pulled stumps to signal the end of play two overs later with Guyana on 167-8.
Sookdeo made an unbeaten 17 that was decorated with three fours whilst Joseph batted for 72 balls in compiling eight precious runs for his team. Dunka ended with 3-49 whilst Jermaine Blackwood had 2-18.
Guyana, who are now on 31 points, will have a net session at the Kensington Oval this afternoon from 2pm in preparation for their final round match against Trinidad and Tobago (24 points) while the Jamaicans (20 points) will face host Barbados (34 points) in matches that commence Thursday.
