By Delvon McEwan
Guyana outplayed Trinidad and Tobago to win their 13th West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Under-19 three-day title at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground Bourda, here yesterday.
The hosts triumphed by an innings and 41 runs as Steven Sankar and Sharaz Ramcharan combined for six wickets in the final day’s play.
The Trinidad team commenced its second innings yesterday with an innings deficit of 193 runs and promptly slipped to 80-6 by lunch.
The visitors had started well though reaching 62 without loss as openers Amir Jangoo (35) and Jeremy Solozano (22) batted responsibly. However, after Solozano was bowled by Sankar, wickets started to tumble. Damion Waldron collected the next two wickets while Sankar placed the visitors in deeper trouble with two more quick wickets. Jemeel Maniram and Anderson Phillips after joining forces at 77-6 rallied for several overs before the lunch interval.
However, after the break Ramcharan struck in his first over (it was also the second over after lunch) when Phillips, who went to lunch on three, was brilliantly caught by Ashkay Homraj on the straight boundary. Kemo Paul accounted for the next two wickets after being reintroduced into the attack after an unsuccessful first spell. He struck in his first over of his second spell when Samuel Roopnarine (10) edged a delivery to the wicketkeeper and three overs later he bowled Jesse Bootan for four.
Guyana’s victory celebrations were further prolonged by a 10th wicket partnership of 48 runs. Within sight of victory, the Guyanese bowlers bowled some wayward deliveries that were dispatched to various part of the boundary boards by Maniram (39) and Akil Seetal (14), who batted aggressively at the end.
Guyana finally got the chance to celebrate when Maniram was caught and bowled by Ramcharan, the visitors being dismissed for 152 in 54.4 for a third consecutive defeat.
Scores in the match: Guyana’s first innings; 310-9 declared in 126 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 132 not out and Shimron Hetmyer 63 while Roopnarine got 3-60).
T&T’S First innings 117 all out in 61.3 overs (Maniram, Phillip and Salozano made 23 each while Sankar, Waldron and Ramcharan collected two each) and T&T’s 2nd Innings 152 all out (Maniran 39 and Jangoo 35 while Sankar and Ramcharran collected three wickets each)
After the game West Indies player test Shivnarine Chanderpaul, father of Tagenarine, chatted briefly with the squad. He urged the players to maintain a high performance level and to do what was necessary to develop their cricket.
“I’m very elated with the team’s performance throughout the tournament and due to the players unification they earned a desirable outcome,” said David Black, Guyana’s team manager.
Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Anand Sanasie in an invited comment said like the national under-15 team (which won the regional tournament three days ago), the hard work and preparation by the team paid off.
He said that he was optimistic that the team will take the same attitude into the limited overs version to be successful in that competition as well. Senasie also congratulated the team on behalf of the GCB.
Guyana’s success at this level follows Steven Jacobs’ led teams title triumphs in 2006 and 2007, seven years removed from the top position.
Guyana will open its limited overs campaign against the Leeward Islands on Monday at the Enmore Community Development Centre Ground.
Sharaz Ramcharan and Steven Sankar combined for six of Trinidad’s wickets.
