FRIENDSHIP, Barbados (CMC):

Reigning champions Guyana slipped to second in the points table after their drawn penultimate round TCL Group West Indies Under-19 match against Jamaica at the Yorkshire Ground yesterday.

Set 256 to win from a minimum of 60 overs plus the final hour, Guyana - led by a defiant unbeaten 85 from skipper Eugene La Fleur - reached 167 for eight by the close in fading light.

Having lost first innings honours in the fixture, the Guyanese only picked up three points and move to 31 points, three behind new leaders Barbados (34), going into the final round from Thursday.

The Jamaicans, who face Barbados in their final match, moved from 14 to fourth place on 20 points and can no longer win the championship.

Joined forces

La Fleur faced 176 balls, batted for 278 minutes and reached the boundary 13 times, while adding 52 in 22.3 overs with pacer Keon Joseph, who made eight not out from 68 balls to see Guyana to safety after they had joined forces with their team in trouble on 114 for seven after tea.

The pint-size La Fleur put his team first and on several occasions refused singles to keep the strike as he closed in on what would have been a maiden century at this level.

Earlier, Jamaica, with a 140-run first innings lead after Guyana only mustered 214 all out in reply to their 354 for nine declared over the weekend, resumed their second innings on 47 for one.

The Jamaicans lost Courtney Allen (2) to medium pacer Seon Hetmyer in the day's first over with the score on 49.

On the defensive

Kennar Lewis, one of three Jamaican centurions in the competition, did not last long as Guyana, without strike bowler Joseph (hip bone injury), went on the defensive in bright sunshine.

Heyliger trapped Lewis (7) leg before at 61 for three as Jamaica desperately tried to score quickly to keep their chances of an outright win alive.

AT COMBERMERE SCHOOL: Trinidad and Tobago beat the Windward Islands by 77 runs.

Scores: Trinidad and Tobago 301-8 declared (Kjorn Ottley 109, Marc Panchu 55, Yannick Cariah 46; Audley Alexander 3-92) and 212-8 declared (Akiel Cooper 72 not out, Kareem Jumadeen 43; Keron Cottoy 4-57).

Windward Islands 250 (Dalton Polius 57, Kavem Hodge 43, Delorn Johnson 43 not out; Yannick Cariah 5-95, Kjorn Ottley 2-47) and 186 (Kavem Hodge 48, Marvin Small 47; Yannick Cariah 8-70, Javed Boodram 2-62).

AT MTW SPORTS CLUB: Barbados beat the Leeward Islands by five wickets on the stroke of tea. Set 165 runs to win, Barbados achieved victory at 165 for five.