ENMORE, Guyana, (CMC) - Stuart Williams, the Leeward Islands captain, tried just about everything he could have in an effort to bowl out Guyana to claim first innings points, but their rain-affected Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series fourth round match ended in a no-result at the Enmore Community Centre, yesterday.
Responding to Leewards’ first innings total of 350, Guyana mustered 270 for nine under quickly dissipating light, as all of the mandatory 15 overs were utilised by the visitors at the end of a day’s cricket that started after the lunch interval.
In the end, the last pair of Vishal Nagamootoo and Rayon Griffith staved off all efforts to ensure that Guyana ended with four points for a drawn match.
Resuming on 119 for four after the entire third day and the first session of the final day were lost to rain causing a wet outfield, Guyana had to defend 45 overs plus the additional 15 at the end.
They did so but only barely, as West Indies fast bowler Adam Sanford, bowling in short bursts throughout the day, plugged away to end with four wickets for 64 runs from 28 overs, but it really should have been a five-wicket haul.
In the dying stages of the match, Sanford had a very vocal appeal against Griffith turned down and the batsman hung on with Nagamootoo until the end.
Cricket started at 1:10 p.m. after the soggy outfield had dried up appreciably for the captains to agree that play was possible.
Narsingh Deonarine, who looked very organised and fluent, got up to his second half-century this season ending on 70 from 156 balls and 216 minutes.
He managed only four boundaries, but with the score on 182 and with the new-ball only one delivery old he attempted an ill-advised pull at a lifting Sanford delivery outside the off stump and skied it to mid-on.
With Damodar Daesrath already lbw to Virgil Browne for 23, Leewards looked in a good position to press for first innings points. And pressed they did, but the best efforts of Sanford, bowling with wicket-to-wicket precision, and the supporting Kerry Jeremy and Browne did not bring them the result.
Guyana captain Neil McGarrell made a brisk 22 before he essayed and missed a cross-batted swipe at Jeremy and left umpire Birbal with no option but to send him on his way via lbw.
Then the third debutant Zaheer Mohamed came to the wicket and, unfazed, flicked his first delivery in first class cricket from Jeremy with gusto to the backward square boundary for four.
A little later he hooked Sanford for another four, but was then trapped lbw to give the hard-working West Indies fast bowler his fourth wicket.
From 204 for 8, Nagamootoo and Esaun Crandon then added 42 runs for the ninth wicket. What was important was the time that they consumed at the wicket.
During that crucial period Crandon lashed four fours and accumulated 26 runs then flicked one straight down Tonito Willett’s throat on the backward square boundary. It looked only a matter of time before the Leewards would secure six points, but it was not to be.
Bottom-of-the-table Guyana, with four points, next face second-placed Trinidad & Tobago at Albion, while Leewards, on 13 points meet Windward Islands in St Maarten.
LEEWARD ISLANDS 1st innings 350
GUYANA 1st innings (o/n 118 for four)
K. Arjune c Jeffers b Sanford 1
S. Chattergoon b Jeremy 14
N. Deonarine c Joseph b Sanford 70
T. Dowlin lbw b Sanford 28
L. Johnson run-out 0
D. Daesrath lbw b Browne 23
N. McGarrell lbw b Jeremy 22
V. Nagamootoo not out 31
Z. Mohamed lbw b Sanford 11
E. Crandon c Willett b Browne 26
R. Griffith not out 4
Extras: (b-12, lb-14, nb-14) 40
Total; (9 wkts) 270
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-29, 3-89, 4-89, 5-137, 6-182, 7-189, 8-204, 9-247.
Bowling: Jeremy 23-4-51-2 (nb-2), Sanford 28-10-64-4 (nb-1), Browne 27-6-63-2 (nb-1), Adams 5-2-4-0, Cornwall 19-4-40-0 (nb-5), Willett 5-2-8-0 (nb-2), Jeffers 5-2-10-0 (nb-1), S. Williams 1-0-4-0.