Tony Becca ALL good things must come to end and although it did not end well for Jamaica, the favourites who were knocked out in the semi-finals and left their fans disappointed and angry, the 2003 Red Stripe Bowl tournament was good - really good.
Like most tournaments that last so long, there were a few disappointments - including the poor planning that saw two of the four teams in the semi-finals running around in Runaway Bay on the eve of the match in search of accommodation and which delayed the start of play after lunch in the final.
Generally, however, it was a good tournament, and sponsors Red Stripe, champions Guyana, and the Jamaican fans deserve high praise for making it so.
In their effort not only to make each day a day to remember but also to make the tournament one that would attract the fans, Red Stripe put everything into it and the promotion, which included the "bat for cash" competition and which ended up with two fans pocketing $212,000 and two $156,000, was a big hit.
The promotion was so good that it undoubtedly contributed to the high spectator support for most of the matches - including the one at Sabina Park.
CROWD
Contrary to the expectations of the sponsors and members of the West Indies Cricket Board's marketing committee, the biggest crowd was at Sabina Park when Jamaica played Trinidad and Tobago.
After losing to Barbados and finishing second in Zone B, Guyana were considered the underdogs.
With a batting line-up that depended heavily on two batsmen - Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, a bowling attack that also revolved around their two spin bowlers Mahendra Nagamootoo and Neil McGarrell, and with Jamaica boasting 10 West Indies players, Barbados parading so strong a bowling attack that neither pacer Fidel Edwards nor left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn could get into the team, and Trinidad and Tobago looking the best balanced team, Guyana were considered the weakest of the four teams in the semi-finals.
FAILURE
In a wonderful team effort, however - an effort highlighted by the failure of Chanderpaul and Sarwan to stamp their class in either match, Guyana dumped Jamaica and then picked off Barbados in the final.
Although Jamaicans believe that Jamaica threw away the match, although the Duckworth/Lewis scoring system made it more difficult for Barbados, Guyana deserved to be crowned champions - and for two reasons.
One reason was that Jamaica's batting was so strong that Guyana had to score a lot of runs to beat them, and the other was that Barbados' bowling was so strong that despite the presence of Chanderpaul and Sarwan they would not have been able to score too many runs against them.
Guyana did not score heavily against Jamaica and they won, and against Barbados, they posted the highest total of the semi-finals and the final and went on to win the match.
In other words, Guyana rose to the occasion, and but for Christopher Gayle, Jamaica, let down by their batsmen, and but for Ian Bradshaw, Barbados, let down by their bowlers, did not.
WIN
In the semi-final, Guyana scored only 183 and destroyed the vaunted Jamaica batting to win by four runs, and in the final, Guyana, winning the toss and deciding to bat on a pitch with preparation moisture, fought like tigers, scored 212 for nine, and won easily.
Barbados may believe otherwise, but at 100 for five, Duckworth/Lewis or not, they were all but dead and buried when the rain came.
And now to the fans.
With Jamaica out of the final, with the fans expressing their disappointment at the performance of the team - including the captain, and with many of them vowing not to turn up to see Barbados play Guyana, there was a fear that the final would be played before empty stands and that Jamaica, as hosts, would have been embarrassed.
To their credit, however, the fans turned out, they packed out the ground, and in doing so they not only made Jamaica proud, but they also provided a wonderful atmosphere for the final.
To all three, to Red Stripe, to Guyana, and to the fans, well done. Because of you, Red Stripe Bowl 2003 was a tournament to remember.
