PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Veerasammy Permaul prized out three crucial wickets in a final spell that earned Guyana a thrilling 22-run win over theWindward Islands and a place in the semi-final of the NAGICO Super50 cricket tournament at the Queen’s Park Oval here last evening.
The left arm orthodox bowler narrowly missed a hat trick but took the last three Windwards wickets at a cost of 24 runs as they capitulated to 213 all out off 46.4 overs after Guyana, winning the toss and batting amassed 235 for seven off their 50 overs.
Ronsford Beaton who had the important scalps of Devon Smith, Romel Currency and Mervin Mathew finished with three for 43 and Davindra Bishoo claimed two for 42 off 10 overs.
Beaton made the initial strike bowling the experienced Devon Smith for five and Christopher Barnwell blunted the Windwards advance accounting for top scorerJohnson Charles. The pugnacious opener was starting to dominate the Guyanese attack but needlessly charged the Guyanese captain having faced 36 balls and striking five boundaries in a knock of 35.
Romel Currency and Keddy Lesporis later staged an inspiring stand of 61 for the fifth wicket which swung the game’s momentum back Windwards’ way. Lesporis struck 33 and Currency hit 19 before playing on to Beaton. Mervin Mathew and Liam Sebastien momentarily kept the Windwards hopes alive but it all faded when Matthew slapped Beaton to Permaul at backward point for a fighting 24.
Guyana had earlier won the toss and batted. Their innings revived from a sluggish start to post a total of 235 for seven. Ramnaresh Sarwan, dropped behind the wicketbefore he had scored, took full advantage to hit a crucial 62 off 92 balls with six fours. Assad Fudadin, who faced a painstaking 92 balls in scoring 51 with five boundaries and a six helped Sarwan put on an important 121 for the second wicket.
Christopher Barnwell and Leon Johnson stepped up the scoring rate for Guyana putting on 84 for the fourth wicket with Barnwell slamming 51 off 43 deliveriesincluding four fours and two sixes and Johnson stroked three delightful boundaries and clobbered two sixes off 31 balls.
Mervin Mathew was again the pick of the Windwards bowlers taking four wickets for 41 runs . Delorn Johnson who was the unfortunate bowler when Sarwan was let off by Andre Fletcher had to settle with two wickets for 39 runs off his 10 over spell. The Windwards were sloppy in the field grassing no less than four catches.
The victory by the Guyanese took them safely into the semi-finals of the competition moving up to nine points in their group, level with Jamaica, the other semi-final qualifier.
Scoreboard
Guyana innings 235-7 (50-.0 overs)
Trevon Griffith c+ Fletcher b Johnson 0
Assad Fudadin c Johnson b Mathew 51
Ramnaresh Sarwan c Sebastien b Mathew 62
Christopher Barnwell * b Mathew 51
Leon Johnson c Currency b Charles 41
Narsingh Deonarine c Sebastien b Johnson 2
Anthony Bramble+ c Lesporis b Mathew 6
Veerasammy Permaul not out 1
Extras: (b 2, lb 4, w 14, nb 1) 21
Total (7 wkts; 50.0 overs) 235
Did not bat: Davindra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton, Paul Wintz.
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-124, 3-130, 4-214, 5-218, 6-234, 7-235.
Bowling: Delorn Johnson 10-1-39-2 (3w), Kenroy Peters 10-1-37-0 (3w), Mervin Mathew 10-1-41-4 (1nb), Johnson Charles 7-1-39-1 (1w), Liam Sebastien 9-1-50-0 (2w), Garey Mathurin 4-0-23-0 (1w)
Windward Islands innings:213 all out (46.4 overs)
Devon Smith b Beaton 5
Johnson Charles b Barnwell 35
Tyrone Theophile lbw Bishoo 31
Andre Fletcher+ lbw Bishoo 17
Keddy Lesporis lbw Wintz 33
Romel Currency b Beaton 19.
Liam Sebastien * lbw Permaul 19
Mervin Mathew c Permaul b Beaton 24
Garey Mathurin b Permaul 5
Delorn Johnson b Permaul 0
Kenroy Peters not out 3
Extras: (lb 11 w11) 22
Total (10 wkts; 46.4 overs) 213
Fall of wickets 1-35, 2-55, 3-95, 4-96, 5-157, 6-158, 7-200, 8-206,, 9-206, 10-213
Bowling: Paul Wintz 5-0-29-1 (1w) , Ronsford Beaton 9-1-43-3 (6w), Christopher Barnwell 6-0-31-1 (1w), Veerasammy Permaul 9.4-2-24-3 (1w), Davendra Bishoo 10-0-42-2 (2w), Narsingh Deonarine 7-0-33-0
Result: Guyana won by 22 runs
Umpires: G. O. Brathwaite P. A. Gustard
TV umpire: D. Ramdhanie
Match referee: K. Kowlessa
