Veerasammy Permaul’s career best 10-wicket haul was not enough to secure a win for Guyana who were left to settle for a draw after being 38 runs away from victory with three wickets in hand when bad light stopped play their game against the Windward Islands in yesterday’s third round of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional 4-day match played at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
The tourists who lost eight wickets on the day three compliments of Permaul who picked up (6-42) and Narsingh Deonarine (2-28), resumed their innings on the final day teetering at 96 for 8.
They lost their final two wickets in 5.4 overs with Devendra Bishoo (1-21) removing Delorn Johnson and Permaul
(7-49) dismissing Nelon Pascal for a duck. Permaul recorded his 10th 5-wicket haul in an innings finishing the match with figures of (10-118), his maiden first-class 10-wicket haul in a match.
Romel Currency who was eying his 10th first-class half-century eventually ran out of partners and was left unbeaten on 48 as his team was mowed down for 114 in 48.4 overs.
Requiring 209 for victory with a possible chance of a full day’s play after showers took a chunk out of day three, Guyana were left stranded at 171 for 7 off 7 before umpires offered Permaul (14*) and Anthony Bramble (16*) the light which they accepted resulting in a draw.
During the chase the innings was nicely set up by starts from Tagenarine Chanderpaul who scored a workman-like 40 off 154 balls with five fours and a six and Narsingh Deonarine who recorded three consecutive ducks prior to this match, hitting three fours in his 66-ball 38.
The left-hander broke his barren patch and equaled his top-score of 38 which he made against Jamaica in the first round batting for 99 minutes and sharing a 5th wicket stand of 49 with the young Chanderpaul.
Left-arm pacer Kenroy Peters was the chief destroyer for the Windwards picking up 4 for 38 from 19 overs and finished the match with figures of (8-80). Pascal (1-46) and Liam Sebastien (2-39) were the other wicket takers.
The openers got off to a solid chase, Chattergoon, in particular, who carved three boundaries in his 14, two of which were consecutive shots of Pascal who he then unfortunately dragged onto his leg-stump in the 7th over as Guyana loss their first wicket for 19 runs.
At 11:07hrs the clouds which had been looking a bit ominous earlier in the morning, finally gave way leaving the match once again in the hands of Mother Nature. After an early lunch was taken by officials, the innings resumed with the young Chanderpaul and his more senior partner Assad Fudadin (22) positively continuing their chase courtesy of a few boundaries off their respective bats.
Fudadin drove Sebastien for a classy boundary through the long-on region while the young “Tiger” hit spinner Alston Bobb for a six over mid-wicket as the team’s 50 came up in the 24th over.
Sebastien then placed himself on a hat-trick when he removed both Fudadin and Vishal Singh (0) who was trapped lbw on the first ball after offering no shot, in successive deliveries leaving Deonarine, to face the hat-trick ball.
But the left-hander negated any hopes of what would have been his fifth duck of the tournament or Sebastien’s possible three wickets in three balls by lofting the off-spinner for a boundary straight down the ground followed by a brutal cover-drive in the next over off the bowling of Bobb, as he raced to double figures.
Guyana brought up their 100 in the 46th over as both Chanderpaul and Deonarine entered their 30’s and looked to bring the required deficit down under the 100-run mark as the tea break approached.
Upon resumption of play after the tea intermission the home team needed 102 runs with seven wickets in hand and their two left-handers looking composed in the middle, a constant threat of a rain affected last session loomed.
Peters began his onslaught when he had the young Chanderpaul bowled after a patient 224-minute stay at the crease, followed by the dismissal of Deonarine who fended off a rising delivery which was taken by Tyrone Theophile in the slip cordon as the tourist’s swung the momentum back in their camp.
Skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul and all-rounder Chris Barnwell(5) were then set with the task of finishing the game under the fading light but Barnwell, who had been looking a bit unsettled by the swing produced by Peters eventually provided a catch to the ‘keeper Lyndon James further putting the winless Guyanese into disarray.
Peters struck a few balls after Guyana brought up their 150, this time snaring the big wicket of the skipper Chanderpaul who got a leading edge and was caught at point by Theophile. Permaul and Bramble then began to take a more offensive approach before they were offered the light by umpires.
Guyana will now prepare to face the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) which is led by Guyanese all-rounder Steven Jacobs in the fourth round day/night match on Friday in Barbados.
