GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (CMC) - Guyana, with a hard-working five-wicket haul from leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, backed up by a stunning display in the field, wiped out the West Indies-B’s batting to take first innings points and commanding position to force an outright victory in their sixth round Carib Beer 2004 Series match at the Enmore Community Centre ground yesterday.
Chasing Guyana's first innings score of 419 all out, the West Indies B folded for 228, Nagamootoo, returning to the team after a two-match suspension, capturing five for 100 from 45 overs.
With a first innings lead of 191, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the Guyana captain, was unhesitant in enforcing the follow- on.
His bowlers managed to pry out two West Indies-B batsmen to leave them 51 for two, still 140 runs away from making Guyana bat a second time, with one day remaining.
Guyana took just over two sessions and 126.1 overs to pack up the West Indies-B batsmen, none of whom got to 50.
The captain Jason Haynes top-scored with 45 and Danza Hyatt made 43 as all six of the top order batsmen got starts but were unable to continue and score substantially to challenge the Guyana total.
Nagamootoo, returning to the team after the ban for a reported fist fight with team-mate Lennox Cush in Dominica, proved to be a few notches above the competency of the West Indies-B batsmen, who unwisely sought to play the spinners on the back foot on a typically flat and low Enmore wicket.
From the start of the day, Nagamootoo bowled a marathon spell of 21 overs, getting the first wicket of the day, that of Haynes.
The opening batsman, 40 overnight and Danza Hyatt, put on 61 for the third wicket -- taking the score from 96 for two at the start of the day to 116.
That was the only fifty partnership for their innings on a day when they needed dedication and application to deny Guyana first innings points.
Haynes collected six fours from 137 deliveries, while Hyatt cracked four fours and two mighty sixes during his 106-ball stay.
Haynes wasted 195 minutes of batting when he gently pushed Nagamootoo into the offside and gave the bowler enough time to complete the catch.
After another 15 runs were added Hyatt when drove with hostility but straight back to Neil McGarrell (2-47) for him to get his second wicket, the third return catch of the innings.
The West Indies-B batsmen looked lost, anchoring themselves at the crease rather than using their feet to counter the spin-biased Guyanese attack.
Patrick Browne, the wicketkeeper/batsman, was the only player who looked ready for a fight, but when he reached 35 he opted to punish Ramnaresh Sarwan for bowling a slow and juicy full toss by pulling it towards the crowd.
But stunningly Krishna Arjune hurled himself just inches inside the boundary board and with jaw-dropping astonishment plucked the ball out of the air.
What should have been six runs for Browne turned out to be his dismissal, that then left his team in dire straits at 205 for eight, 65 runs behind the follow-on total.
Arjune's catch -- a sure contender for catch-of-the-series if there was such an award -- was the highlight of a very professional display in the field by the home team.
Captain Chanderpaul also breathtakingly plucked one out of the air at extra cover to dismiss the Antiguan batsman Austin Richards for 18 to give Nagamootoo his third wicket.
Wickets kept tumbling for the West Indies-B, under the relentless pressure applied by Chanderpaul who, leading the Guyana squad for the first time this season after returning from Test duties in Africa, showed decisive leadership in the field switching his bowling attack around with cunning effectiveness.
His regular consultations with vice-captain, both of Guyana and West Indies, Ramnaresh Sarwan, underlined his preference for consultation and involvement of key players in decision-making.
Windies-B failed to get close to 270 -- the follow on total -- and fell for 228 just after tea, taken 55 minutes late to make up for the 40 minutes lost in the first session due to a rain interruption and to allow Guyana to get the last wicket to end the innings.
The last pair, of pacers Jason Bennett (15 not out) and Dwight Washington (5) held up Guyana for just under an hour before Rayon Griffith, with the first ball of his 17th over, trapped Washington lbw and left the West Indies-B with a first innings deficit of 191 runs.
During their second turn at the crease, Haynes started off looking to play positively but got only 10 before he pushed one tamely to Travis Dowlin at midwicket and was caught off Griffith.
Then Shawn Findlay, as he had done the previous afternoon, spanked two imperious fours, one a straight drive off Damodar Daesrath that crashed into the sight screen, then when on nine was brilliantly taken by Sarwan, diving away at first slip to give McGarrell his first wicket of the second innings. Ryan Ramdass flicked one four and drove for another two, ending the day on 25 not out from 60 balls.
With an entire day to get eight Windies-B wickets to secure full points and their second outright win in a row, the Guyanese will feel confident once there is no interference from the weather.