Deonarine spurs Guyana to 6-wicket win despite Jeffers' century
By Sean Devers at Albion
Kaieteur News
February 3, 2007
Watched by a large working day crowd, defending champions Guyana beat the Leeward Islands by six wickets in their fourth round KFC Cup regional one-day cricket encounter yesterday at Albion to move to eight points going into their final preliminary round game against Barbados at Bourda next Saturday.
Replying to the visitors' 233-8 of 50 overs, Guyana registered their second win in the competition by reaching 234-4 in 46.2 overs on a flat track in sultry conditions to deny the Islanders their first points in the tournament although Shane Jeffers hit a magnificent even century with nine fours and a five from 139 balls for the losers.
Guyana 's purposeful march to victory was engineered by a fluent unfinished 100-run fifth wicket partnership between Man-of-the-Match Narsingh Deonarine (65*) and Assad Fudadin (35*).
The left-handed pair joined forces with their team in a spot of bother on 134-4 and with classy stroke-play ensured a comfortable Guyana victory, with Deonarine hitting six boundaries from 77 balls and Fudadin striking three fours and a six in his 44-ball innings.
The Leewards, opting to bat after winning the toss, quickly lost Codville Rogers (4), neatly stumped down the leg-side by Derwin Christian in the second over as off-spinner Royston Crandon struck with the score on seven.
Maxford Pipe (6) was then comprehensively bowled by Royston's elder brother Esuan, to leave the score on 24-2. Jeffers and skipper Sylvester Joseph, who reached the boundary three times in his 62-ball 36, added 82 for the third wicket with positive cricket before Joseph, with scores of 100 not out, 72 not out and two in the competition, was run out by a brilliant return from Royston Crandon from deep square-leg.
Tonito Willett (1) joined the well entrenched Jeffers and was caught and bowled one run later by off-spinner Deon ferrier as the Leewards slipped to 107-4 in the 28th over.
The left-handed Jeffers from St Kitts reached his half-century from 69 balls and along with Omari Banks, who deposited left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul for an effortless six over long off, took the score to 167 with aggressive batting before Nagamootoo struck with consecutive deliveries.
Banks, after hitting the leg-spinner for a pugnacious straight driven boundary, missed an injudicious swipe and was bowled for 26 while Jason Williams (0) was bowled behind his back sweeping to leave the score on 167-6.
Nineteen year-old Justin Athanaze joined Jeffers, who soon became the second Leewards batsman (third for the season) to reach the three-figure mark before throwing his wicket away; being bowled by Ferrier as he missed a premeditated slog sweep in the 45th over with the score on 188-7.
Athanaze, who finished unbeaten on 43 from 34 balls with two sixes and two fours, lofted Ferrier for a huge six in the penultimate over while Jeremy (8) was taken on the boundary after smashing Nagamootoo for four off the previous ball in the final over as 66 runs were scored in the last 10 overs.
Nagamootoo took 3-31 and Ferrier 2-60 for Guyana , who were off to an entertaining start as Sewnarine Chattergoon (9) smacked Sanford for consecutive boundaries in the third over before pulling a catch to square-leg to leave his team on 19-1.
Travis Dowlin and Royston Crandon delighted the raucous crowd as the 50 was posted in 10.4 overs, with Crandon clobbering the off-spin of Athanaze for a six over mid-wicket to spark a crescendo of noise from the well populated stands.
Crandon hit two fours and a six from 65 balls in 40 before being trapped lbw to Jeremy at 94-2 to break the 96-run third wicket partnership and make way for the arrival of Sarwan.
The West Indies Vice-Captain was almost caught at forward square-leg off Jeremy from the first ball he faced and just when he was beginning to look ominous, cut at a ball too close to him and was bowled off the inside edge by Sanford for 17 to leave the hosts on 124-3 in 25 overs.
Home boy Deonarine arrived to a deafening ovation but soon saw Dowlin, who hit two boundaries in his attractive 54-ball 49, top edged a hook off the lively Sanford to the keeper with the score on 134-4 in 27 overs.
Deonarine (who looked easily the best of the batsmen on show) and Fudadin revived the position with their enterprising partnership.
Fudadin, who grew in confidence as his innings progressed, lofted Baker onto the sightscreen with nonchalant ease to post the 200 in the 42nd over before Deonarine clipped Baker for a contemptuous four to wide long-on to reach his fifty in the 45th over.
Fudadin added to the Leewards' misery with a glorious straight driven boundary in the same over as the energized fans danced in the stands.
Deonarine soon formalized the victory with a single off Sanford with 3.4 overs remaining sparking wild celebrations.