Led by a patient 94 from Narsingh Deonarine and an unbeaten 51 from Assad Fudadin, Guyana were comfortably placed on 254-5 when bad light stopped play at the end of the penultimate day in their 10th round clash against the Leeward Islands at the Albion Sports Complex yesterday.
After spending the first two days in the pavilion due to rain and a soggy outfield, the players were finally given the opportunity to grace the field at 1030hrs and in brilliant sunshine, Guyana winning the toss and batting, raced to 72 without loss, before closing on 254-5.
Gajanand Singh is yet to face a ball.
Justin Athanaze has so far taken 2-42 for the Leewards.
Christopher Barnwell (35) got things off brightly, when he pushed the third delivery of the match from fast bowler Gavin Tonge through mid on for four and followed up with an on drive through mid on and a straight drive all along the ground off Wilden Cornwall for boundaries.
The left handed Sewnarine Chattergoon (32) who looked shaky at the start of his innings, found his rhythm with a sweetly-timed drive through extra cover off Tonge for four and moved from 20 to 32 with three more fours off Tonito Willet.
But when they looked well set to take Guyana to lunch without any problems, Barnwell pushed tentatively forward to a delivery from leg spinner Anthony Martin and was adjudged lbw at the end of the 30th over.
Chattergoon followed two balls later, also via the lbw route when he swept at a delivery pitched on the middle stump from Justin Athanaze, without any addition to the score.
The in-form Deonarine, who is averaging 59.15 in this tournament, from 15 innings came to the crease and he immediately displayed the confidence which brought him 769 runs before this innings, with a cut and a flick off his legs for boundaries.
Guyana went to lunch on 94-2, with Deonarine on 17 and Leon Johnson, who had cut Athanaze through point for four, on five.
After the break, Guyana posted their 100 in 184 minutes and off 266 balls when Deonarine drove a Tonge no ball through extra cover for two.
He then graciously square drove another Tonge delivery through the vacant point position for four in his next over.
After adding 63 runs from 167 balls for the third wicket with Deonarine, Johnson, who never looked settled, pulled at a short delivery from Willet and was caught by Athanaze at wide mid wicket for 22. At lunch Guyana were 135-3.
At tea, they were 166-4, with Deonarine on 53 and Assad Fudadin four as Guyana added 72 runs in the session for the loss of Johnson and Travis Dowlin (22) wickets from 32 overs.
Fudadin got to his second successive half century from 98 balls hitting six fours and one six while Deonarine moved into the 90s with a single to backward square leg.
Deonarine, however was not given the opportunity to survive another chance as substitute Austin Richards Jnr took a comfortable catch at deep forward square leg to deny the left handed batsman his second successive ton.
He faced 208 balls and struck 10 fours whilst batting for 256 minutes.
Bad light eventually ended the day’s play at 1750hrs.
Today is the final today.
