Skipper Christopher Barnwell’s all-round class, Robin Bacchus’s maturity and Krishmar Santokie’s 4-wicket haul, led Guyana to a 10-run victory over the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force on Saturday night, as the hosts levelled the two-match T20 series, 1-1 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
The hosts got sweet revenge after their 11-run defeat on Friday. Bacchus crafted a solid 61 at the top of the order on Saturday, while Barnwell, who was later adjudicated as Man-of-the-match, blasted 47 off 27 balls and returned to snap up two wickets. Santokie,
who ended with two consecutive wickets in Friday’s first game, picked up a hat trick after claiming a wicket off his first ball of the second game.
After losing the toss on Friday, Guyana won the coin spin and opted to bat and after a slow start they managed to rack up an imposing 144 for 4 from their 20 overs. Trevon Griffith (17) and Robin Bacchus added 40 for the first wicket. Griffith was the first to go when he attempted to pick up two runs and was run out by Evin Lewis.
The consistent Leon Johnson, who top scored for Guyana in the last match, was removed for 6 runs when he was caught by Sherwin Ganga off the bowling of Rayad Emrit.
Bacchus continued his innings and brought up his half-century from 54 balls with four boundaries and a six. When skipper Barnwell came to the crease, he and Bacchus brought up the team’s 100 in the 17th over on a first-ball wide bowled by Shannon Gabriel.
Barnwell then hammered the penultimate over bowled by Ganga for 27, slamming three huge sixes and two fours. Bacchus was then caught by Red Force skipper Denesh Ramdin in the last over bowled by Emrit. He departed for a well-played 60 and the 71 run third-wicket partnership between him and Barnwell, was broken.
Narsingh Deonarine (2) was bowled by Emrit and Rajiv Ivan (4) not out edged one for a boundary to end the innings. Barnwell was left not out on 47 in which he cracked three fours and three sixes. Emrit was once again the spearhead grabbing 3 for 37 from his four overs.
Chasing 145 to win, the Regional Champions fell short of their target and were restricted to 134 for 7. Santokie continued his excellent form with the ball, removing Adrian Barath for a first ball duck, as he edged one to wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble.
Nicholas Singh (1) then came to the crease to partner Evin Stewart, but was soon removed by Santokie when he edged a delivery to Johnson who completed the catch in second slip.
Santokie followed up his superb first ball delivery by disturbing the stumps of Jason Mohamed for a duck as he picked up his third of the innings.
Reeling at 5 for the loss of 3, Ramdin came to the middle to steady the ship with Lewis. Lewis was then dropped by Barnwell in the 4th over off the bowling of Keon Joseph. Santokie was once again involved in a dismissal, this time taking a catch off Joseph’s bowling to remove Ramdin for 9 in the 6th over.
Ganga and Lewis steadied the Red Force ship and after 10 overs they were 49 for 4, compared to Guyana who were 53 for 1 at the same stage.
The pair carried on picking up singles and two’s, even managing a few boundaries in the process, as Lewis brought up his 50 in 15 overs and taking the team to 92 for 4.
The partnership was broken when Stewart held out to Santokie in the deep for a well-played 53, off the bowling of Barnwell. Santokie then removed Ganga for a decent 22, when he skied one to Griffith down at mid-wicket boundary.
Nicholas Pooran (4) did not replicate his fireworks from the first game as he was caught by the ever present Santokie off the skipper’s bowling. Santokie was then pummelled for 19 in the penultimate over, as Emrit and Navin Stewart hammered the left-arm bowler for two sixes and a four.
Requiring 20 from the last over, Emrit was dropped by Griffith on the 5th ball as the Red Force fell short by 10 runs. Emrit was left stranded 21 not out and Stewart 10.
Santokie, snared 4 for 36 off his four, while Joseph picked up 1 for 17 and Barnwell 2 for 17.
The Red Force will now seek to regroup and add the finishing touches to their squad as they prepare to head to India later this month for the 2013 Champions League T20 Tournament.
