By Marlon Munroe
Guyana’s cricket got a much needed boost after the national senior team scored a hard-fought three wicket win over the Leeward Islands in the first round of the WICB President’s Cup limited overs tournament at the Enmore Community Centre ground yesterday.
Man-of-the-match Royston Crandon (24 not out) and his brother Esaun (17 not out) carried Guyana over the threshold of the 193 target reaching 194 for the loss of seven wickets from 46.1.overs
Off-spinner Justin Athanaze, after giving Guyana a scare picked up 3-36 (10) and Lionel Baker finished with 2-32 (10).
Earlier, the Leeward Islands were bowled out for 193 from 49.5 overs with Keiran Powell making 38 with four boundaries.
Gavin Tonge scored 28 and Wilden Cornwall, who was run out, 22.
Royston Crandon took 3-56 from 9.5 overs while Christopher Barnwell and Devendra Bishoo supported with two wickets each.
When Guyana started their chase in partly overcast conditions openers Barnwell and Sewnarine Chattergoon were vigilant as they picked up the singles before Tonge had Chattergon caught behind playing forward for three when the score was nine in the sixth over.
Worse was to come when Barnwell went softly for five in the next over as he pushed a Baker delivery to mid on where Cornwall was waiting to gobble up the offer. Guyana’s first boundary came when skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan who scored 43, attempted his trademark square cut which took an inside edge and went past a diving `keeper.
Two ball later though Sarwan exquisitely cut a Tonge delivery for four, the second boundary of the over.
Things were quiet until Deonarine broke the period with a sweetly timed straight drive down the ground off Baker in the 11th over to bring the crowd to life.
There was another lull in proceedings as the two found it hard to get the ball past the fielders before Deonarine hoisted Cornwall over the infield to the wide long on boundary in the 17th over.
In contrasting fashion the two looked circumspect with Deonarine hitting the ball more crisply and authoritatively while Sarwan played with softer hands. Their running between the wicket was also a positive feature of the partnership as they gradually upped the tempo.
The introduction of 24 year-old leg-break bowler Anthony Martin in the 21st marked the turning point for the Guyanese.
Deonarine gave the bowler a grand baptism by pulling him to backward square for four and then paddling the third delivery around to the more orthodox square leg boundary for another four.
Deonarine moved up another notch when he punched Tonito Willet, operating from the top end, for four through midwicket and then hit Martin over midwicket for another four as Sarwan became a virtual onlooker. Deonarine raised his 50 with a drive through midwicket. The landmark came off 54 balls and included six boundaries. He fell shortly after for 51 caught at cover Powell off pacer Baker.
Deonarine’s dismissal ended a 94-run third wicket stand with Sarwan who departed shortly after for 43, bowled by Athanaze as he attempted a cut shot and played on.
His knock included two boundaries from 74 balls.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Travis Dowlin continued with the fluent scoring as they added their touch to proceedings. They also ran well between the wicket picking up steady twos and threes before Dowlin was caught behind off a faint edge by Hamilton for 14 off the bowling of Athanaze in the 36th over.
Subsequently, Crandon hit medium pacer Willet for a huge six over long on but lost Chanderpaul who was lbw to Athanaze for 22 (1×4) from 36 balls.
Debutant Delbert Hicks had a torrid time and survived some confident shouts for an lbw decision but duly got off the mark with a gracious drive through the covers and then flicked Willet through backward square before being run out for 8.
The younger Crandon played a sumptuous drive through extra cover when Guyana needed 27 for victory in the 43rd over and then his sibling sweetly drove the same bowler down the ground for two. The brothers turned singles into doubles as they put the fielders under some pressure in the field. Esaun cut Tonge over cover to move the score to 189 before Royston stroked the ball through the off-side to level the scores.
Esaun then hit the winning run to mid off.
Earlier the Leeward Islands batted in front of a large gathering under clear blue skies and lost opener Chesney Hughes (2) and Runako Morton (7) when the scores were 13 and 43 in the fourth and 12th overs respectively. However, Powell looked solid as he drove opening bowlers Crandon and Barnwell crisply through the mid off region.
The shot though brought about his demise when he went the aerial route on the first ball of the 19th over and was caught at long off by Royston Crandon off the bowling of Veerasammy Permaul for 38. He faced 59 balls and hit four boundaries.
After the fourth wicket of Willet (10) fell in the 24th over with the score on 68 a valuable partnership ensued with the experienced Captain Steve Liburd and Wilden Cornwall who worked the ball around the field for singles and the occasional two as spinners Bishoo and Deonarine kept things tight.
The two brought up the team’s 100 in 34.4 overs before Cornwall was run out for 22 (45 balls).
Cornwall drove a delivery from Royston Crandon to Sarwan at mid on and went running down the wicket only to be sent back by his partner.
Crandon had figures of 3-56 from 9.5 overs, Bishoo (2-38) and Barnwell (2-42) bowled 11 and seven overs respectively while Permaul and Deonarine had one wicket apiece.
