Barbados came roaring back from dropping first innings points to inflict a five-wicket defeat on Guyana fifty five minutes after tea on the third day of their fifth round Carib Beer encounter at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda Ground yesterday.
Tino Best with 5-25 and Ryan Hinds 4-13 combined to demolish Guyana for a paltry 90 in their second innings as the Guyanese put on a dismal batting performance falling for their lowest total at home.
Needing to score 108 for victory after conceding a first innings deficit of 17 runs, the champions struggled losing five wickets in the process before arriving at the 108-run target they needed to clinch their record 20th regional four-day title.Hinds who got a hat-trick in the match and a total of eight wickets for 92 runs received the Man-of-the-Match trophy.
Guyana began the day at 22 for 1 with Travis Dowlin on 16 and Assad Fudadin not yet off the mark.
Fudadin was gifted a boundary when Pedro Collins allowed a firm drive to go through his legs to the mid-off fence for four but he was not allowed to enjoy the good fortune for long.
The introduction of Best came from the northern end in the fifth over of the day and saw Fudadin feathering a catch to wicket-keeper Carlo Morris.
Twelve runs later Travis Dowlin, who appeared to be set, inexplicably pushed a Best delivery straight into the hands of Hinds at extra cover and was out for 24.
The Barbadians were with their tails up. Royston Crandon received a nasty first ball from Best that rose sharply, took the upper portion of the bat and was taken by Dale Richards at short third man as Guyana slipped to 54-4.
The Bajans seemed to have done their homework well for when Derwin Christian, who got a half century in the first innings, came out to bat, Hinds came back into the attack.
Christian swept a delivery to backward square for four but Hinds continued to encourage the sweep shot and was to have the last laugh for Christian on five, top edged an attempted sweep only to be caught by Alcindo Holder at backward square making the score 61-5.
Guyana were in dire straits when Mahendra Nagamootoo gave a simple return catch to Hinds and departed without scoring as the locals lurched to 63-6.
Azeemul Haniff and Rayon Griffith took Guyana to the lunch interval on 69-6.
The home team lasted only 18 minutes after the interval. Haniff on 18 could not get out of the way of a short ball from Best, and Floyd Reifer running from second slip took a great, running one handed catch. At 84-7 the end was in sight.
Griffith then lofted Ryan Hinds straight to Ryan Austin at long off and was out for 13 with the score 90-8, while Veerasammy Permaul fell leg-before-wicket to Hinds with no addition to the score.
Ramnaresh Sarwan who will be out for three weeks after being injured in the first innings when he was hit by a delivery from Fidel Edwards did not bat.
Guyana, hoping for a miracle introduced the spinners after two overs when the Bajans began their run chase. Permaul castled first innings top scorer Dale Richards for eight, and the score on 14, with his first ball while Wayne Blackman on five skied a Nagamootoo delivery and Haniff took a good, running catch at long off to put the Bajans on 28-2.
Shamarh Brooks and Floyd Reifer then enjoyed a half century partnership for the third wicket, before Brooks played back to Royston Crandon, missed and was out leg-before for 28 and the score 68-3.
Hinds and Reifer went to tea with the visitors on 91-3, soon after the interval, Griffith at mid off dropped a straight forward catch from Hinds with the score on 96-3.
In a last-ditch effort, Permaul trapped Hinds leg-before for 22 and clean bowled Reifer for 27.
But Morris lifted Crandon over midwicket for six to level the scores then smashed the same bowler into the fence at square leg to seal the win for Barbados.