GEORGETOWN, CANA:
GUYANA achieved their goal of beating the Windward Islands in their final Busta Cup match which ended at Bourda yesterday, but had to settle for the second position behind winners Barbados despite the two teams being locked on 57 points.
Guyana, who also earned a semi-final berth in the Busta International Series against England A, starting at Bourda on Friday, ended the tournament with three outright triumphs to Barbados' four after the Barbadians had recorded a come-from-behind win over Trinidad and Tobago yesterday.
Set 125 for victory after dismissing the Windwards for 199 in their second innings, Guyana reached 128 for three from the first ball of the 15th mandatory over.
Final scores in the match were: Windward Islands 350 and 199; Guyana 425 for nine declared and 128 for three.
The not out batsmen when victory was achieved were Ramnaresh Sarwan (39) and skipper Carl Hooper (12).
Sarwan and Hooper came together after the first three batsmen, openers Sewnarine Chattergoon (7) and Azeemul Haniff (29) and number three Lennox Cush (20) were all run out.
Sarwan, who took his tally of runs in the tournament to 481, and Hooper to 798, took the early pressure off with sensible batting and running between the wicket much to the delight of the appreciative holiday crowd after Haniff, who batted for 115 minutes and Cush 99 minutes, had agitated the spectators with slow scoring.
Sarwan, who batted 51 minutes, slammed six delightful fours in his 34-ball innings.
Earlier, Guyana had made early inroads into the Windwards' second innings but were halted in their progress by an enterprising 86-run fifth-wicket stand between first innings century maker John Eugene and wicket-keeper Junior Murray.
The two joined forces after Greg Wilson (7) and nightwatchman Shane Shillingford (9) were dismissed within half hour of the day's play, Wilson caught by Travis Dowlin at silly mid-off and Shillingford bowled by fast bowler Reon King.
Eugene, who slammed eight fours, batted for 76 minutes and faced 76 balls, but perished just before lunch when he was undone by a Mahendra Nagamootoo googly and was adjudged LBW.
SCOREBOARD
Windwards 1st innings 350
Guyana 1st innings 425-9 dec.
Windwards 2nd innings
(overnight 24 for 2):
D. Smith b Nagamootoo 11
R. Currency c Dowlin b McGarrell 6
G. Wilson c Dowlin b McGarrell 7
S. Shillingford b King 9
J. Murray c&b McGarrell 56
J. Eugene lbw Nagamootoo 46
K. Casimir c Haniff b Nagamootoo 11
R. Lewis c wkp V Nagamootoo b Hooper 31
D. Butler c Dowlin b Hooper 12
O. Jackson c Haniff b Hooper 0
F. Thomas not out 4
Extras (b4, lb1, nb1) 6
Total (all out) 199
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-18, 3-34, 4-35, 5-121, 6-135, 7-161, 8-188, 9-188
Bowling: King 10-1-24-1 (1nb); Stuart 6-1-26-0; McGarrell 19-6-40-3; Nagamootoo 28-5-73-3; Hooper 18.3-6-31-3.
Guyana 2nd innings:
A. Haniff run out 29
S. Chattergoon run out 7
L. Cush run out 20
R. Sarwan not out 39
C. Hooper not out 12
Extras (b6, lb9, nb1, w5) 21
Total (for 3 wickets) 128
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-64, 3-81
Bowling: Thomas 8-2-19-0 (1w); Butler 7-0-43-0 (1nb, 4w); Lewis 10-1-26-0; Shillingford 3-0-12-0; Jackson 2.1-0-13-0.
Result: Guyana won by 7 wickets
Points: Guyana 12, Windwards 0
Man-of-the-match: Carl Hooper (Guyana)
Umpires: Glenroy Johnson (Grenada), Daveerth Ananjit (Guyana)
Toss: Windward Islands
