Test players star as Guyana whip Windwards
From Sean Devers in St. Lucia
Stabroek News
August 19, 2002
A useful all-round display from skipper Carl Hooper and an even half-century from test left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul spurred defending champions Guyana to a comfortable 63-run victory over the rest of the Windwards yesterday at the Beausejour stadium here in St Lucia.
The win, in their second round zone 'B' encounter of the Red Stripe Bowl regional one-day cricket competition, took the South Americans to the maximum four points from two matches following their unbeaten run in last year's competition and extended their winning streak in regional one-day cricket to eight matches.
Hooper lofted three sixes from 59 balls falling two short of his 15th regional one-day half-century while Chanderpaul hit a well constructed 50 from 102 balls in his eleventh fifty at this level as Guyana reached 192-9 in 50 overs.
Pacers Darren Sammy had 3-38 and Fernex Thomas 3-40 for the Windwards who were bowled out in 43.4 overs for 129 in reply despite a fighting 36 from John Sylvester, playing in his first game in the competition.
The experienced Hooper grabbed three cheap wickets with his off spin including the scalp of top scorer Sylvester to finish with 3-23 from 10 overs.
When the Windwards began their reply needing to score at 3.86 per over to win, they quickly found themselves in trouble.
Balty Watt, used to open the batting in place of Kirsten Casimir, the only change from the side which lost to Trinidad, fell at 23 as the home team lost their first three wickets before they reached 50.
Reon King had Watt (5) caught at deep mid off by Narsingh Deonarine running back and Alton Crafton (12) taken at third man cutting at a short ball at 37-2.
Leg-spinner Nagamootoo then sent back home town hero John Eugene LBW for two at 43-3 as the Guyanese players, watched by their president Bharat Jagdeo, who was in the Island for a Caricom heads meeting, took control of the game.
The 50 came up in 16.2 overs before Lewis was run out for two by Deonarine from cover in a mix up with non-striker Sylvester to leave the score on 57-4.
Sammy joined Sylvester and the pair progressed to 77 when Sammy was caught and bowled by Hooper who also accounted for Wayne Phillips for one, clean bowled at 81-7.
Sylvester batted well but got little support from the other end and after he was removed by Hooper trying to clear long on at 111-8, it was all over bar the shouting for the home team.
Sylvester' s 36 included two fours and two sixes and came from 73 balls but it was too little too late as his team crashed to second defeat from as many matches in the competition this season.
Thomas stayed around for a while in compiling 13 to become the fourth batsman to get to double figures in the innings.
But then he charged down the track at Sarwan, missed a wild swipe and was stumped by Vishal Nagamootoo at 124-9. The match ended five runs later when Shillingford (6) was caught in the deep to give Sarwan his second wicket.
Sarwan (2.4-0-3-2) and King who bowled with lively pace to pick up 2-20 from six overs supported their captain with the ball
as the Guyanese continued their march towards retaining their Red Stripe Bowl title.
Earlier, Guyana, sent into bat by the Windwards, lost openers Sewnarine Chattergoon (12) and Sarwan (22) to leave them on 44-2 in the 14th over.
Chattergoon clipped a ball in the first over from gentle medium pacer Sylvester for Raul Lewis at short mid wicket to hold a sharp catch on the second attempt while Sarwan, again asked to open the batting, steered a short ball from Sammy to Eugene at slip.
Chanderpaul and Lennox Cush then joined forces in brilliant sunshine and, watched by the largest crowd of the competition, added 49 runs for the third wicket.
The pair took the score to 93 before Cush, who hit the first boundary of the match in the 19th over, looked to accelerate the scoring and was caught on the square-leg boundary sweeping at Lewis.
Cush's departure for 17 with one four from 39 balls made way for the arrival of Hooper to a loud roar from the crowd, which included a large Guyanese contingent equipped with Guyana flags.
The 35-year-old West Indies captain did not disappoint his fans. The elegant right hander hit off spinner Shillinford for six over long on to bring up the Guyana hundred in the 32nd over and deposited Lewis over mid wicket for another six in the next over as the Guyanese put their foot on the accelerator.
Shillingford, who conceded just nine runs from his 10 overs in his last game, was pulled out of the attack after Hooper lifted him, with all the ease in the world, way over mid-wicket into the stands for another six on one of the biggest grounds in the West Indies.
Hooper and fellow West Indies test player Chanderpaul took the score to 148 with an important 55 run fourth wicket stand before Chanderpaul, on reaching fifty from 101 balls with a solitary boundary, hit the next delivery to long off trying to go after Shillingford.
Hooper then clipped a full-toss from Sammy to Watt on the deep mid boundary when two short of his half-century. His 48 lasted 59 balls with three sixes and his wicket fell at 170-5 after which his team slumped to 188-9 losing their last five wickets in the space of 18 runs.
Narsingh Deonarine (7), Neil McGarrell (5), Mahendra Nagamootoo (9) and Colin Stuart (0) all fell in quick succession as Guyana tried desperately to up the tempo against on target get bowling from the home team bowlers.
Despite the good batting of Chanderpaul and Hooper, the Guyanese, for the second time in a row in the competition failed to reach the 200 run mark on the extremely slow outfield.
Thomas, who had all of his wickets in the last over of the innings, polished off the tail, to end with 3-40 while Sammy finished with 3-38.
After a two-day break the action continue on Wednesday with Canada coming up against the rest of the Windwards.
Guyana's next match is slated for August 22 when they battle Trinidad and Tobago in what is regarded as the match of the zone.