BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine took a career-best seven for 26 to spur Guyana to a sensational win by an innings and 66 runs over Barbados with two sessions to spare on the fourth and final day of the fifth round regional first-class match at Kensington Oval here yesterday.
Faced with a first innings deficit of 124, Barbados plunged from an overnight five for one to 58 all out off 28 overs – their lowest score at this level since 1966 when the regional first-class championship was first sponsored.
All told the innings lasted for 125 minutes and included eight boundaries.
Captain Shamarh Brooks and fast bowling all-rounder Christopher Jordan were the only batsmen to reach double-figures as joint top-scorers with 15, the latter being not out.
The pair featured in the best partnership of the innings – 19 in eight overs for the eighth wicket. The match ended ten minutes before lunch.
The win was Guyana’s third in five matches, lifting them to second position on 36 points but well adrift of leaders and champions for the past four years, Jamaica, on 60 points, as the other teams now fight for the remaining three semi-final places.
It was Barbados’ second defeat, leaving the region’s most decorated first-class nation on 24 points after four matches.
The 28-year-old Deonarine, a former West Indies player between 2005 and 2010 and better known for his left-hand batting, enjoyed himself from the Joel Garner end at the north after he had removed Omar Phillips on the third evening from the Malcolm Marshall end.
It was only his second five-wicket haul in his 91st first-class match.
Flighting the ball cleverly and displaying good control, Deonarine got the majority of wickets from close-to-the-wicket catches, led by Assad Fudadin, who took five at either short-leg or in the slips.
Having scored 84 in Guyana’s 441 all out, Deonarine was the undisputed man-of-the-match.
The swift demise of Barbados started in the day’s fourth over when Kraigg Brathwaite, who resumed on three, was caught at forward short-leg by Fudadin as he pushed forward off Deonarine, for nine with the score 15.
Veteran all-rounder Ryan Hinds’ miserable season with the bat continued when he was lured out of the crease from a defensive stroke and swiftly stumped outside the off stump by Derwin Christian for two to make it 17 for three.
Off the first ball of the next over from pacer Ronsford Beaton, nightwatchman and debutant fast bowler Miguel Cummins, who bats left-handed, was given out by umpire Anisur Rahman of Bangladesh, caught at the wicket by Christian for nought – a decision which seemingly shocked the batsman after he had defied for 40 minutes and faced 21 balls.
One run later, Jonathan Carter, also a left-hander, was caught at second slip by Fudadin off Beaton for nought.
Kenroy Williams, under pressure to retain his place in the side, was bowled through the ‘gate’ by Deonarine for two as he essayed, drive, and off the last ball of the same over, Shane Dowrich was snapped up at forward short-leg off bat and pad by Fudadin for four to leave Barbados tumbling on 29 for seven off 16 overs.
Brooks and Jordan both managed a few boundaries and seemed intent on rebuilding the innings before Brooks, aiming to hit through the on-side, was caught and bowled by Deonarine running towards extra-cover.
Tall left-hander Sulieman Benn was caught at short-leg by Fudadin off left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul for nought and Pedro Collins was caught at silly point by Trevon Griffith off Deonarine for four.
Beaton picked up two for 17 off ten overs.
The previous lowest total by Barbados since 1966 was 79 against Trinidad and Tobago at Kensington Oval in the Shell Shield championship in 1993.
Barbados’ lowest ever first-class total, however, is 47 against Demerara at Bourda in 1887-88.
