SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica, CMC – First class batsman Shimron Hetmyer narrowly missed out on his second successive hundred as Guyana easily brushed aside Barbados by seven wickets in their fourth round Regional Under-19 Championship encounter here yesterday.
Chasing 217 for victory at Chedwin Park, Guyana ended on 218 for three off 33.2 overs, with opener Hetmyer falling agonisingly two runs short of triple figures for 98.
The 18-year-old left-hander faced 68 balls and struck 16 fours and one six, and was at the centre of two key stands that put Guyana on course for an easy victory.
He put on 48 for the first wicket with wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach who scored 11 and then added a further 104 for the second wicket with Balchand Baldeo who made 23 off 52 balls.
When Hetmyer perished at the hands of off-spinner Nicholas Kirton, who claimed two for 37, Keemo Paul then stroked an unbeaten 29 to see Guyana home.
Paul faced 45 balls and counted three fours and one six, adding 31 for the third wicket with Baldeo and another 35 for the fourth wicket with captain Travis Paul who finished on 19 not out.
Earlier, Barbados had gotten a top score of 65 from opener Lee-Germon Gaskin as they finished on 216 for eight off their 50 overs.
Gaskin struck four fours and three sixes in an innings requiring 128 balls, and got support from Shamar Springer with 36 from 33 balls and Akil Greenidge with 28.
Barbados lost Lenico Boucher without scoring with just three runs on the board but Gaskin and Greenidge put on 65 for the second wicket, before Gaskin and Springer added a further 48 for the fifth wicket.
Ronaldo Alimohamed (2-40) and Keemo Paul (2-42) picked up two wickets apiece.
