FOURSQUARE, Barbados, CMC – Led by an unbeaten century from Chandrapaul Hemraj, Guyana eased to a comfortable 40-run win over Barbados to continue at the top of the standings in the Regional Under-19 one-day Championship here yesterday.
Playing at Foursquare Oval, the left-handed Hemraj scored an even 100 to help lead his team to 237 for nine off 50 overs.
They then restricted Barbados to 197 for nine with captain Shai Hope getting 45.
After being sent in to bat, Guyana made an encouraging start, with their opening pair of Tagenarine Chanderpaul (18) and Shimron Hetmyer (60) posting 75 for the first wicket, before Hetmyer retired hurt after being struck on the ankle.
The fall of Chanderpaul’s wicket with the score on 94, triggered a mini collapse as Guyana slumped to 160 for seven in the 37th over.
Hetmyer returned to complete his half century before he was the third wicket to fall.
Barbados’ fightback was led by the spin duo of Jameel Stuart and Chad Williams who both took three wickets apiece.
Hemraj, however, found a worthy partner in Romario Shepherd and the two added 53 runs for the eighth wicket, before Shepherd fell for eight, with the score on 213.
Hemraj eventually reached his milestone in the final over, running Akeem Jordan down to third man for a single.
He faced 101 balls, batted for 145 minutes and struck eight sixes and one four.
Barbados then struggled from the outset, stuttering to 66 for three behind some tight bowling from Guyana’s spin attack backed up by a superb display in the field.
Hope and Marlon Welcome-Goodman (42) helped stage a fightback with a 57-run fifth wicket partnership, but when Hope was dismissed the score on 139 in the 39th over, Barbados’ hopes faded.
Despite Welcome-Goodman’s knock, Barbados still finished well short of the visitors’ total, suffering their first loss of the competition in the process.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai (2-32) and off-spinner Shawn Pereira (2-34) and finished with two wickets each.
