Cush slams 70 as Antigua fall short
By Sean Devers in St. Lucia
Stabroek News
August 26, 2002
A swashbuckling 70 from Lennox Cush helped defending champions Guyana finish zone 'B' of the 2002 Red Stripe Bowl regional one-day competition as the only unbeaten team stretching their winning streak in the competition to 10 wins.
The Malteenoes right-hander who opened the batting yesterday after specialist opener Andrew Gonsalves was again left out, smashed four fours and three sixes from 109 balls in a typical Cush innings to see Guyana to 204-9 when their 50 overs expired.
A magnificent 83, decorated with four fours and two sixes from 126 balls from 23-year-old Sylvester Joseph failed to save Antigua from a 36-run defeat, their third loss in the competition, as they fell for 168 in 46.5 overs.
Guyana, resting Carl Hooper and Reon King, elected to bat first after Shivnarine Chanderpaul won the toss in great conditions for cricket.
Cush and Chattergoon put on 35 before Chattergoon (14) hooked a short ball from Kerry Jermey to fine leg in the 11th over.
Ramnaresh Sarwan, who opened the batting in the first three games, joined the ultra aggressive Cush and the pair took the score to 94 with entertaining batting on a track with some bounce.
Sarwan was bowled off the under edge by Carl Simon for 28 from 51 balls with three fours as he again failed to build on a good start.
Cush, whose first fifty at this level was reached with a six off Simon from 97 balls celebrated with a massive hit into the stands at mid wicket next ball.
He was eventually caught at mid wicket swinging at off-spinner Anthony Lake to leave Guyana on 136-3.
Narsingh Deonarine seven departed for his fourth single figure score in the competition when Jermey failed to hold on to a diving catch at deep cover from Chanderpaul but recovered and threw the ball to the non-strikers' end where Deonarine failed to beat the throw going for a second run.
Travis Dowlin, playing his first game of the tournament, joined Chanderpaul at 150-4 and was run out in heart breaking fashion for a duck five runs later.
Dowlin straight drove Bailey powerfully but Chanderpaul's bat accidentally intercepted the ball for the bowler to catch the rebound and toss the ball back to Jacobs with the unlucky Dowlin well stranded down the track.
Guyana lost their third batsman by the run out route when Chanderpaul was himself run out for 28 from 54 balls as the defending champions slipped to 163-6.
The pair of Neil McGarrell and Mahendra Nagamootoo, both with test experience, took the score to 193-7 before Nagamootoo was bowled by Bailey for 13.
Bailey also removed Vishal Nagamootoo (3) and Reon Griffith (0) in quick succession.
McGarrell finished on 22 not out from 24 balls with a solitary boundary as Guyana passed 200 for the second time in the competition.
Bailey finished with 3-30 from eight overs while Lake was the most economical bowler with 1-30 from 10 overs.
Set just over four runs per over to win, Antigua started badly when Lake fell for a duck in the first over to Stuart and Amwaa Prince (2) was caught behind off Reon Griffith in the second over to leave the Antiguans on 6-2.
Sylvester Joseph and Cornwall, the only centurion in the zone, came together and revived the position with a 72-run third wicket stand before Cornwall was bowled by Cush for 29 with three fours from 67 balls.
Cornwall's demise left his team on 79-3 and made way for the arrival of Mali Richards, the talented left-handed son of former West Indies great Sir Viv Richards, playing in his first regional senior match.
With his father, now chairman of the West Indies selectors watching, the 18-year-old Mali did not last long going LBW to Sarwan for one with the score on 94-4.
One run later, Cush, enjoying a fine game, bowled Greg Skepple for a duck as the Guyanese pressed home their advantage.
It was soon 148-7 when the experienced Jacobs was LBW to McGarrell for 13 while Joseph, who picked up the tempo with some delightful stroke play on the large ground, was bowled by Nagamootoo at 156-8 to effectively end the Antigua fight.
Nagamootoo and McGarrell then wrapped up the tail to see Guyana to their 10th consecutive win which began with their victory in their last game in Antigua in the 2000 Red Stripe Bowl.
Nagamootoo had 2-26 to take him to 59 regional wickets and within striking distance of the regional one-day record of 64 held by Courtney Walsh. McGarrell, Sarwan and Cush also finished with two wickets each for Guyana.
The Guyana team is scheduled to arrive home today at 2:PM before leaving tomorrow for Jamaica for the semi finals and final.
Guyana play Barbados in the second semi final at Kaiser on Friday after Trinidad and Tobago clash with Jamaica in the first semi final on Thursday. The final is set for Kaiser on Sunday.
Points table at the end of zone B.
Guyana - 8
Trinidad and Tobago 6
Canada 4
Antigua and Barbuda 2
Rest of the Windwards 0