Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

JAMAICA'S PERFECT run in the 2007 KFC regional one-day cricket tournament ended at Alpart Sports Club in Nain, St. Elizabeth, yesterday when they were soundly beaten by defending champions Guyana.

After winning the toss and fielding first, Jamaica dismissed Guyana for 163 in 41 of the allotted 50 overs and at one stage looked like cruising to victory before, thanks to 17-year-old left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul who preened himself with five wickets for 26 runs off 7.2 overs - including a brilliant spell of five for five in 3.2 overs, the visitors cornered and then destroyed them for 123 in 41.2 overs.

In losing the match by 40 runs, Jamaica, who finished next to the bottom of the standings in 2004 and 2005 after winning only two matches in each year, are now on two from three and with eight points in the bag are still in the running for a place in the semi-finals.

In winning the match, Guyana, runners-up in 2004 and winners in 2005, pocketed their first points of the season after losing their first two matches, and in so doing kept alive their chances of making it to the semis.

Set a target of 164 at a rate of 3.28 runs per over, Jamaica started promisingly against the pace of Esaun Crandon and the off-spin of brother Royston Crandon, and at 39 without loss in the 11th over, looked like strolling to victory.

That, however, was not to be and, 10 overs later, Jamaica were in dire straits at 63 for five with Hyatt gone - the batsman driving and going caught by Dion Ferrier in the covers off Esaun Crandon for 19 at 39 for one in the 11th over, Brenton Parchment gone - the batsman, on 17, driving a full toss from Royston Crandon straight to Azeemul Haniff at cover at 41 for two in the 12th over, captain Wavell Hinds gone - the batsman driving and going caught by Travis Dowlin at cover off legspinner Mahendra Nagamootoo for eight at 54 for three in the 16th over, Lorenzo Ingram gone - the batsman playing to leg and falling leg before wicket to Esaun Crandon for one at 58 for four in the 17th over, and Tamar Lambert gone - the batsman going back, attempting to cut, and going well caught for seven in the 21st over by a diving Nagamootoo at slip off off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine.

Thanks to David Bernard Jnr. and Carlton Baugh Jnr, Jamaica recovered to 113 for five, and with Baugh hitting the ball cleanly, looked good for a fight before Veerasammy, switching from the southern end to the northern end, stepped in and nailed them.

Baugh was the first to go for 30 at 113 for six in the 36th over - the batsman cutting off the front-foot and offering a catch to wicketkeeper Derwin Christian. Three runs later, Bernard, 21, made it 116 for seven in the 38th over when he drove and Narsingh Deonarine came up with a brilliant low catch at extra-cover. Two runs later, it was eight down in the same over when Odean Brown, two, cut and Nagamootoo took the catch at slip. Another two runs later and it was 120 for nine in the 40th over when Jermaine Lawson, 0, swung, missed and was leg before wicket; and three runs later, the innings was history when Nikita Miller, six, swung, missed, and was bowled middle stump.

Batting for Guyana, opener Sewnarine Chattergoon stroked a solid 31 off 51 deliveries before he was run out at 70 for four in the 18th over, and Christian, joining the action at 99 for six in the 25th over, smashed three sixes, two off left-arm spinner Miller and one off legspinner Brown, while scoring 39 off 41 deliveries before leaving the scene at 150 for nine when he swung at part-time off-spinner Lambert and was brilliantly caught by Hyatt coming off the backward square-leg boundary and diving forward for the catch.

Guyana got off to a disappointing start when Royston Crandon was run out for zero in the third over of the day at nine for one, and with Dowlin, three, edging fast bowler Lawson to wicketkeeper Baugh at 15 for two in the seventh over, and Haniff, eight, driving pacer Andrew Richardson straight to Brown at mid-off at 44 for three in the 13th over, they were in early trouble and but for Christian's charge, never really recovered.

With a lot depending on him, captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, batting at number six and arriving at 70 for four, went out, looked around for a few deliveries, drove Richardson over cover for six, and departed at 92 for five when he unwisely hooked at Lawson, mistimed the shot, and Hyatt accepted a sitter at square-leg.

Bowling for Jamaica, fast bowler Jermaine Lawson picked up three wickets for 30 runs off his 10 overs and Lambert two for 18 off five.

Guyana innings

S. Chattergoon run out