ST JOHN'S, Antigua, (CMC) - Man-of-the-Match Ramnaresh Sarwan, with a fine all-round performance, piloted Guyana to a four-wicket triumph over Antigua and Barbuda in the last Zone B match of the Red Stripe Bowl limited overs competition yesterday at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG).
The win gave Guyana a berth in the final four of the competition after they finished runners-up to Barbados in the group although both teams ended with 13 points from their four matches.
The Guyanese scored 185 for six off 47.2 overs to overtake the home side’s modest 181 all out off 49.4 overs.
Antigua and Barbuda missed out on a place in the semis for the third straight year after finishing with 12 points, a single point behind the top two.
An estimated crowd of 5 000 - including hundreds of Guyanese living in Antigua - watched the Antiguans make a fight of the game after they batted disappointingly in their innings.
Behind a resistant 83-run fourth-wicket stand between Sarwan (64) and captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul (39), Guyana absorbed the pressure to beat the home side and book a place in the semifinals.
They staged a recovery - after Guyana were 61 for three - that took the game away from the Antiguans.
Opener Ryan Ramdass had struck 31 in a stand of 52 with Sarwan for the second wicket before off-spinner Anthony Lake accounted for both batsmen to finish with two for 36 from his 10 overs.
Earlier, wicketkeeper batsman Ridley Jacobs top-scored in the Antigua innings with 39 not out off 50 balls with two sixes, captain Sylvester Joseph made 34 and Ian Tittle hit 28.
Guyana had the Antiguans in early disarray at 28 for three before a stand of 30 between Joseph and Wilden Cornwall (16) took the score to 58.
Joseph and Tittle added 56 for the fifth wicket.
But it all proved to be insufficient as pacer Reon Griffith took two for 25, leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo two for 27 and Sarwan two for 29.
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA innings
A.Richards c M.Nagamootoo b Griffith 19
E.Waldron b Griffith 1
B.Baltimore c wkp. V.Nagamootoo b Crandon 0
+S.Joseph c McGarrell b M.Nagamootoo 34
W.Cornwall c Crandon b McGarrell 16
I.Tittle b M.Nagamootoo 28
*R.Jacobs not out 39
A.Lake c & b Sarwan 2
C.Simon c Chattergoon b Sarwan 7
K.Jeremy c McGarrell b Deonarine 0
C.Roberts run-out 15
Extras: (b-2, w-12, nb-6) 20
Total: (all out off 49.4 overs) 181
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-17, 3-28, 4-58, 5-114, 6-120, 7-128, 8-139, 9-143.