Bajans fight back in Carib Beer semi-final
Despite double century stand from Sarwan and Chanderpaul
By Sean Devers in Bridgetown Barbados
Stabroek News
February 27, 2004
It was a day of fluctuating fortunes for Guyana. Vice Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan (121) and Skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul (81) shone, but Barbados fought back, restricting Guyana to 248 for seven at the close of play.
Sarwan and Chanderpaul entered the arena with Guyana on 29 for three on the first day of their four-day Carib Beer International Shield regional first-class cricket match at Kensington Oval yesterday. They shared in a magnificent 203-run fourth-wicket partnership, before a late afternoon burst from Pedro Collins (four for 71) and Ian Bradshaw (two for 38) changed things.
Put into bat on a straw-coloured track, which offered no assistance to the bowlers, Guyana faltered in the first hour before their two test batsmen joined forces in hot conditions.
The GCC pair defied the four-pronged pace attack with entertaining batting on a fast outfield before the hard-working and very economical Bradshaw forced Chander-paul to edge a catch to 'keeper Courtney Brown at 4.49 pm. The score was 232 for four.
The left-arm fast bowler, who replaced the injured Tino Best - the competition's leading wicket taker in the Cup stage of the competition with 35 victims - sent back Sarwan one run later before Collins struck two more blows before the end of the day's play to put the home team on top.
Guyana, who just qualified for the semi-finals by winning their last three games outright and Trinidad and Tobago's defeat to Barbados in the last round, left out offspinner Zaheer Mohamed and pacer Esaun Crandon as Rayan Ramdass made his first-class debut for Guyana.
Ramdas, who scored 312 runs for the West Indies 'B' team this season, played two delightful cover-driven fours in his 14 before he provided Brown, the competition's most successful wicketkeeper (35 dismissals) with the first of his three catches for the day to leave Guyana on 27 for one.
Sewnarine Chattergoon (12) then elected to play no shot to Collins and was trapped LBW without addition to the score. Travis Dowlin (1) also played no shot and was LBW as Guyana, who beat Barbados in the last Red Stripe Bowl final, slipped to 29 for three.
Chanderpaul joined the in-form Sarwan and by lunch Guyana were 76 for three with the small working-day crowd already enjoying some entertaining stroke-play from the West Indies pair.
The 23-year-old Sarwan, with scores of 95 and 199 since his return from South Africa and the dependable if not elegant 29-year-old Chanderpaul both reached their half-centuries by tea. Guyana, hunting their eighth first-class title, progressed to 141 for three at the break with Sarwan on 60 and Chanderpaul on 50.
Sarwan's 12th regional first-class 50 came in 110 minutes, 65
balls and included five fours. Chanderpaul got to his 13th regional first-class halfcentury in 160 minutes, 128 balls with six fours.
Barbados, with a record seven consecutive wins at this level, wasted an early chance to separate the pair when Ryan Hinds at third slip put down a head-high catch off Collins before Chanderpaul had scored.
The experienced left hander was again dropped by Martin Nurse at gully on three at 49 for three off Collins who moved the ball both ways. Chanderpaul's luck and the Barbadians' poor catching continued when Fidel Edwards at short mid-wicket floored a catch off Dwayne Smith at 80 for three with Chanderpaul on 18.
Chanderpaul capitalised on his good luck and flat batting track to play some savage pulls before he departed after hitting nine fours in his 81 from 192 balls in 291 minutes.
But by then the recovery job had already begun and Guyana, who were 46 for six at lunch on the first day of their first-round clash when Barbados beat them by ten wickets, seemed well on course for a 400+ total as the Bajan fielders failed to offer the type of support their bowlers expected at this level.
Sarwan, who recorded his 12th first-class ton yesterday, was lucky to reach his first century against a Caribbean side and his fourth at the regional first-class level after being put down by Bradshaw off Corey Collymore on 60, off the first ball after tea.
Sarwan survived some anxious moments on 96 as Bradshaw in particular ensured the batsmen struggled to get the ball off the square with eight consecutive maiden overs in the second session.
Sarwan eventually reached the three-figure mark with his 12th four on a ground where he made his test debut against Pakistan in 2000. His second ton for the season came in 284 minutes, off 172 balls.
Sarwan faced 205 balls and batted for 301 minutes in his 121, which was decorated with 13 fours. After he was removed by Bradshaw, Guyana lost two wickets in the space of four runs in the last 30 minutes of the day's play, as Barbados, hunting their 20th first-class title, fought back in fading light.
Narsingh Deonarine (2) and Neil McGarrell (4) who played no shot to a ball on the stumps, were both dispatched via the LBW route to leave the score on 247 for seven.
All-rounders Damodar Daesrath (9) and Mahendra Nagamootoo (0) saw
Guyana to the close, to set up an interesting first session this morning.
Yesterday's play was watched by a crowd, which included Sir Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Guyana Consul to Barbados Norman Faria and Guyanese fashion designer Sonia Noel, in Barbados for the three-day Guyana Trade Expo which will be opened by Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo at the Grand Barbados Beach Hotel today at 10 am.