Guyana’s first-class player Christopher Barnwell produced a stellar all-round showing for GA Spartans at the weekend to guide the side to championship honours in the cricket4life tournament in St. Maarten.
Barnwell, in the semi-final against the Adam Stanford All Stars, smashed a 50-ball 109 decorated with 10 sixes and five four to spur Spartans, to 215 – 5 from 20 overs.
Keacy Carty (30) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (21) supported Barnwell’s knock while Suliemen Benn (2-36) was the pick of the bowlers for All-Stars who fell 60 runs short in the chase after being dismissed for 155 in 20 overs.
Barnwell returned to snare 2-15 while Kenroy David (3-15) combined to limit their counterparts including West Indies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul (8), who recorded an innings of 210 in earlier rounds but failed to replicate his heroics to carry his side into the final.
It was all Barnwell again in the final after he cracked 45 and grabbed 4-12 to spur Spartans past AxA Tigers by eight wickets to lift the title.
The proceedings saw Tigers winning the toss and batting first. They posted 171 – 7 from their full complement of overs with Jahmar Hamilton (54) stoking a 50 to carry his side to a respectable total.
Barnwell (4-12) and Kenroy David (3-25) spearheaded Spartan’s bowling effort with the Guyanese, who featured in six T20s for the West Indies, returning with the bat to carve out 45 and along with Daron Cruickshank (54*) carried their side to 174 – 2 to complete the successful run-chase.