Guyana survive rain scare to record victory ... Homesters rocket to joint second position By Frederick Halley Guyana Chronicle February 6, 2001 GUYANA survived a rain scare and recorded a predictable victory over Trinidad and Tobago late on the final day of their fifth round Busta Cup match at the Enmore Community Development Centre ground yesterday. Trinidad and Tobago, under pressure to save the game with a 251-run first innings deficit, were bowled out for 307 after tea, setting Guyana 57 runs for a win, which the home side achieved for the loss of three wickets after rain had threatened play for the day. Final scores in the match were: Trinidad and Tobago 106 and 307; Guyana 357 for nine declared and 57 for three. Man-of-the-match Carl Hooper ended the game in fine style, pulling off-spinner Mukesh Persad to the mid-wicket boundary for six to end 11 not out, with Lennox Cush (15) as his partner. The unbeaten Guyanese are now joint second in the standings with England A on 39 points - three behind leaders Leeward Islands - with two rounds remaining. Early morning rain had prevented any play before lunch, and they lost 20 minutes in the post-lunch session as well, before umpires Basil Morgan and Dhierandranauth Somwaru - in slightly overcast conditions - decided on a 13:00 hrs start. Trinidad and Tobago, 212 for five overnight, lost their first wicket after 40 minutes when Darrel Brown (13) was spectacularly caught by Neil McGarrell running back at mid-on off Hooper's medium pace. Overnight batsman Richard Smith added a further 23 runs with Navin Chan (six) before Chan was caught behind by Vishal Nagamootoo off pacer Kevin Darlington. Smith's courageous innings eventually ended at 96 when he hit a full toss back to 17-year-old leg-spinner Ron Matthews, and the visitors dipped to 264 for eight. Smith hit 10 fours, faced 183 balls, and batted 236 minutes. Rain returned and stopped play at 14.48 hrs, 22 minutes before the rescheduled 3.10 tea-break, with T&T 274 for eight - a mere 23 runs ahead. The weather cleared during the break and Trinidad and Tobago frustrated the Guyanese bowlers for another 42 minutes, with the last wicket pair of Rajindra Dhanraj (13) and last man Persad (19 not out) adding 32 for the last wicket in even time. Dinanath Ramnarine, who was eight at the interval, added one more before he was bowled by McGarrell at 275 for nine. Persad joined Dhanraj and struck three fours but Guyana finally broke the stand when Matthews bowled Dhanraj, leaving the homesters to get 57 runs in 12 overs plus the mandatory 15 in the last hour. Matthews ended with three for 64, supported by McGarrell (3-81), and first innings six-wicket hero Darlington (2-74). Guyana suffered an early scare, slipping quickly to 10 for two, losing opener Azeemul Haniff (five), needlessly run-out and Keith Semple (0) comprehensively bowled by Brown (1-15) without scoring. Travis Dowlin (18) and Cush added 31 for the third wicket before Dowlin was bowled trying to on-drive Persad (1-18). Hooper, who struck a magnificent 142 in the first innings, and Cush, then took Guyana to victory off 6.3 of the mandatory 15 overs. This triggered an invasion of the ground. Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today