Guyana, led by a pugnacious, maiden first-class century from Darwin Christian, ably supported by skipper Travis Dowlin’s unbeaten innings of 71, finally showed their true colours at the end of the penultimate day’s play against Jamaica at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday.
Resuming on their overnight score of 22-1 in reply to Jamaica’s mammoth first innings score of 441-8 declared, the Guyanese, who have lost all four of their matches this year, reached 301-9 with Christian hitting a belligerent 113.
At the wicket are Dowlin and Brandon Bess not out on 71 and two respectively.
The hard hitting Christian joined Dowlin at the fall of Homchand Pooran’s (16) wicket, 16 minutes after lunch with Guyana’s innings in tatters on 122-6.
The two added 163 runs for the seventh wicket with Christian taking the attack to the Jamaicans.
He hit leg spinner Gavin Wallace twice over midwicket for maximums and also struck Odean Browne over midwicket for a four and a six off successive deliveries.
At tea, Guyana were 236-6 with Christian, who had on drove Hinds for four to long off on 79 and Dowlin 50.
It was the skipper’s fourth half century of the season and 17th first class half century overall and he reached the landmark off the final delivery before the break after facing 160 balls and hitting three fours.
After tea, Christian picked up from where he left off hitting Andrew Richardson through backward point twice and midwicket once for boundaries in the first over to move to 91.
He duly reached his first century at this level, when he pushed the 99th delivery he faced from David Bernard jnr., to mid on for a single.
He had struck 13 fours and three sixes in 123 minutes of batting.
Dowlin played the perfect supporting role picking up the singles and rotating the strike as Guyana moved closer to the follow on target of 291.
When Christian was caught by Bernard at deep backward square off Browne he had faced 125 deliveries, batted for 159 minutes and struck 14 fours and three sixes.
Guyana were 285-7 and a mere six runs away from their follow on target of 291.
The wickets of Esaun Crandon (06) who was lbw to Miller and Zaheer Mohammed (0) were taken by the Jamaicans after Guyana passed the follow on target at 295, but Brandon Bess (02) hung around to defy the opposition when bad light stopped play at 4:41pm.
Miller was the most successful bowler for Jamaica with 3-64.
Play will commence today from 9:48am today
And a draw would be a welcome result not only for the Guyana team but new coach Rabindranuth Seeram as well.
Guyana needs a further 140 runs for first innings points with one wicket in hand.
