A magnificent century from West Indies under-19 middle order batsman Lendl Simmons failed to save his team from a 14-run defeat at the hands of Guyana at the ARG yesterday in the first round of Zone `B’ of the 2003 Red Stripe Bowl regional one-day cricket competition.

Simmons crashed nine fours and two sixes from 115 balls to register the competition’s first ton but his splendid innings was not enough to prevent his side from being restricted to 238-8 off 50 overs in reply to the 252-6 off 50 overs made by Guyana.

Skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul led from the front with a brilliant 66 from just 61 balls aided by seven top-class boundaries to ensure he started his role as Guyana one-day captain with a victory.

The experienced Chander-paul lifted Guyana from potential danger when he joined forces with Narsingh Deonarine at 135-4. The two posted 80 runs for the fifth-wicket in 65 balls to effectively shut the opposition out of the game.

Twenty-year-old Ryan Ramdass in his debut game scored (62) and Sewnarine Chattergoon (34) had given Guyana a solid 79-run opening partnership from 20 overs after Guyana elected to bat first on a track with some bounce.

Ravi Rampaul bowled with pace and hostility to finish with 2-27 while left-arm spinner Rishi Bachan who captured the first three Guyanese wickets, ended with 3-44.

But once Assad Fudadin (29) top edged a sweep at leg-spinner Ramnaresh Sarwan at 140-3 and Simmons threw his wicket away with a careless reverse sweep at leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo at 157-4 no one really offered prolonged fight.

Nagamootoo captured 4-50 while pacer Reon Griffith, who sent back both of the openers in his first two overs, supported with 2-23 for Guyana.

Xavier Marshall (1) and Craig Emmanuel (1) both touched catches to the ‘keeper Vishal Nagamootoo to leave the score on 11-2 in the third over.

Simmons, the nephew of former West Indies player Phil Simmons and one of two first-class players in the side, batted brilliantly and got good support from Fudadin. The pair took the score to 140 with an entertaining 129-run third wicket stand much to the delight of the small crowd.

Simmons hit off-spinner Lennox Cush out of the ground to bring up the century partnership while Fudadin, with sensible batting, played the supporting role.

Sarwan was lifted back over his head for a six by the elegant Simmons before Fudadin top-edged a sweep and was taken at backward square-leg after hitting one four from 81 balls in his 29.

Simmons soon posted the first century in the 2003 competition before he played a premeditated reverse sweep at Nagamootoo and gave his wicket away just when his team needed him to stay to the end.

Rampaul took the attack to the bowlers and along with Kirk Edwards took the score to 185 before Edwards (13) skied Nagamootoo to Chattergoon at long-on. Rampaul (21) swept Nagamootoo to Ramdas on the square-leg boundary one run later.

Denish Ramdin and Guyanese Zamal Khan tried desperately to increase the scoring against Sarwan, who got lots of bounce and the flat quick leg-spin of the experienced Nagamootoo, playing in his thirty-eighth regional one-day game.

Ramdin (19) was sent back by Nagamootoo at 216-7 while Mervin Matthew was run out for 11 at 234-8 to effectively end the fight from the West Indies under-19 team who needed 19 to win from the last over bowled by Cush. They only managed four.

The West Indies under-19 team take on home team Antigua and Barbuda in their next game on Friday.

Guyana play their next game against the UWI on Saturday while the competition continue tomorrow with defending champs Barbados coming up against UWI.