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Guyana beat
Antigua and Barbuda Pro Team by 10 runs
(COOLIDGE, Antigua - Stanford2020) February 18, 2008:
Guyana marched into the semi-finals of the Stanford 20/20
tournament with a hard fought 10-run quarter-final victory
over Antigua and Barbuda Pro Team at the Stanford Cricket
Ground on Sunday night. Guyana will now play Jamaica in next
Saturday's semi-final, a day after Trinidad & Tobago face
Barbados.
Chasing Guyana's 146 for nine, Antigua and Barbuda Pro Team
was restricted to 136 for nine.
Inserted, the Guyanese, behind thousands of cheering fans,
recovered from a poor batting display to give their
supporters something to smile on their way back home.
Their openers - Sewnarine Chattergoon and Travis Dowlin,
gave them a fairly good start with a stand of 42 runs in six
overs. However, skipper Sylvester Joseph produced a very
good delivery, which pitched and spun across the left-handed
Chattergoon, who tried to take on the bowler, but made no
contact and was stumped by Juari Edwards.
It was then Dowlin and Shivnarine Chanderpaul took centre
stage and they maintained a steady run-rate with some
sensibly batting, backed up by a few beautiful strokes on
both sides of the wicket.
The left and right handed combination strengthened Guyana's
position, but although they did not decimate the bowling
like other teams did to date, both scored freely in their
56-run second wicket stand, which turned out to be the
match-winner.
Pacer Chad Hampson, who returned at the northern end, bagged
a brace of wickets in his first over - bowled Chanderpaul
for 20 and had Sarwan caught and bowled without scoring at
99 for 3.
Hampson, two overs later, picked up the wicket of Dowlin,
who tried to clear long-off found Orlando Peters, who took a
brilliant catch over his head, a couple inches from the
ropes.
In what turned out to be a batting collapse, Christopher
Barnwell, who was striking the ball without mercy, watched
as Derwin Christian (9) and Esuan Crandon (0) fell 128 for
6.
Barnwell provided the acceleration towards the end with his
26 off 16 balls, but his effort to get them to 150 failed
when he hit Justin Athanaze to Wilden Cornwall, who was
stationed at the long-on boundary. Royston Crandon (6) and
Mahendra Nagamootoo (0) were both run out in the final over.
Hampson ended with 3 for 23 and Justin Athanaze 2 for 30.
Needed to score 7.35 runs an over and with almost two-third
of the over 8,000 spectators cheering against them, it was
always going to be an uphill task for the Sylvester
Joseph-led inexperienced team.
And it was, as Guyana paced by good opening spells from
Esuan Crandon and spinner Lennox Cush, Antigua and Barbuda
Pro Team was off to a nightmare start. Larry Joseph (5), who
looked good for his first three deliveries, flashed wild
outside his off stumps and got an outside edge straight to
the wicket keeper.
The task became more difficult with a brace of wickets from
Lennox Cush in the sixth over. He removed Richards, who cut
straight to backward of point for Esuan Crandon to take an
easy catch and two deliveries later, Wilden Cornwall, one of
the most senior batsmen, edged to wicketkeeper Derwin
Christian at 25 for 3.
Teenage batsman Orlando Peters was joined by his captain
Sylvester Joseph and the two put on 41 for the third wicket,
but the former, shortly after he struck Royston Crandon for
three fours in one over, came forward and swept the same
bowler to Chanderpaul at short fine leg.
And the very next ball, Justin Athanaze advanced down the
pitch, but in his attempt to hit over mid-on, got a leading
edge and Chattergoon took an easy catch at extra cover.
Though Joseph survived the hat trick ball, Antigua and
Barbuda slipped in further trouble when Mali Richards, son
of Sir Viv Richards, was bowled by Crandon, who also removed
Carl Simon for nine at 98 for 8.
With 38 runs to get in the last two overs, Hampson, who
faced 11 balls for seven runs, made things more difficult
for his team. Though it came down to 29 runs to get in the
final over, Joseph threatened Guyana with two huge sixes and
a four off Neil McGarrell, who he had earlier hit out of the
attack.
Joseph's brilliant innings, 62 not out, which included five
sixes, one which cleared the southern stand for
Play-of-the-Day, and two fours off 37 deliveries, was a
little too late. He was also named Man-of-the-Match and
collected US$35,000 in total.
Royston Crandon was the best bowler with 4 for 33. Cush
supported with 2 for 14.
Teams -
Guyana: Ramnaresh Sarwan (Captain), Christopher Barnwell,
Derwin Christian, Esuan Crandon, Lennox Cush, Mahendra
Nagamootoo, Neil McGarrell, Royston Crandon, Sewnarine
Chattergoon, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Travis Dowlin. Albert
Smith – Coach, Carl Moore – Manager, Sir Viv Richards –
Legend
Antigua & Barbuda Pro Team: Sylvester Joseph (Captain),
Anthony Martin, Austin Richards Jr., Carl Simon, Chad
Hampson, Juari Edwards, Justin Athanaze, Larry Joseph, Mali
Richards, Orlando Peters, Wilden Cornwall. Eldine Baptiste –
Coach, Ralston Otto, Evans ‘Jawakie' Jones – Fitness
Trainer, Julio Gonzales – Physiotherapist, Courtney Walsh –
Legend
