HOSTS Guyana scored a hard-fought three-wicket victory over the Leeward Islands in their opening zone B game of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)-sponsored President’s Cup limited overs competition at the Enmore Community Centre ground yesterday.

Being asked to take first strike by the hosts, the Leeward Islands were bowled out for 193 from the final delivery of their 50 overs, with skipper Steve Liburd and Kieron Powell leading the way with 38 each, supported by Jamal Hamilton (34) and Gavin Tonge 28.

West Indies limited-overs player Royston Crandon with 3-55, Devendra Bishoo with 2-37 from 11 overs and Christopher Barnwell 2-38 did the damage with the ball for Guyana, who made heavy work of the target before finishing on 194-7 from 46.1 overs in reply, thanks to the batting of Narsingh Deonarine (51) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (43) against the bowling of Justin Athanaze who took 3-36.

Powell got things started for the Leeward Islands, with two fours through mid-off, off the bowling of Esaun Crandon who was miserly in his bowling, conceding a mere 15 runs from his seven overs and Barnwell.

He lost his partner Chesney Hughes (2) who was caught by debutant wicketkeeper Delbert Hicks pushing tentatively forward to a delivery from Barnwell and he was quickly followed by Runako Morton (7) who was lbw sweeping to Royston Crandon, leaving his team on 43-2 in the 12th over.

A consistent line and length from the Guyanese bowlers restricted their opponents from scoring heavily and at the end of 35 overs, the Leeward Islands were 100-6, having lost Powell who struck four fours in his 59-ball innings before holing out to long off in his attempt to hit Veerasammy Permaul out of the ground, and Tonito Willet (10).

Belligerent hitting from Liburd and Hamilton added 44 for the seventh wicket, after seeing the demise of Wilden Cornwall (22) who was run-out by Ramnaresh Sarwan after his call for a single was turned down by Liburd, and Justin Athanaze (0).

Liburd struck Permaul over square leg for six – the first boundary since Morton’s four off Royston Crandon in the 10th over – followed by a four through extra cover off Royston Crandon, who was also dispatched through the same area by Hamilton in his next over.

In his attempt to up the scoring rate for his team after accumulating 31 runs from the first three overs in the final power play, Liburd who had gotten an outside edge off Barnwell from an expansive drive to third man for four, lost his off stump to the same bowler at the end of the 43rd over.

Entering the scene at 145-7, Tonge and Hamilton enjoyed the free-scoring opportunity which presented itself, thanks to the power play, with the former hitting Bishoo inside out and over extra cover for six, followed by two more off successive deliveries over wide long on off the bowling of Royston Crandon.

Hamilton refused to be left out and cashed in with two boundaries off Royston Crandon, followed by a tickle to fine leg off Barnwell before he ran past a googly from Bishoo and was slowly stumped by Hicks in the 48th over.

Guyana should have picked up Tonge who skied a full-length delivery from Barnwell when he was on 26 to Sarwan at extra cover, who grassed the offer with Leeward Islands on 190-8, but they did not pay heavily for the blunder as Royston Crandon won the battle between himself and Tonge who was caught by Sewnarine Chattergoon at short midwicket in the final over.

Tonge faced 15 balls in his pugnacious innings but his demise left his team on 193-9, a total they failed to add to, as they lost Anthony Martin who was caught by Travis Dowlin at long on two deliveries later.

When Guyana began their reply, they lost Chattergoon (3) and Barnwell (5) in quick succession to be 11-2 in the seventh over, before racing to 20-2 following two fours by Sarwan off Tonge, with the second coming from his trade mark square cut through point.

Deonarine joined Sarwan and after a sedate start, opened his shoulders with a pugnacious straight drive off Baker, followed by another through wide mid-on off Cornwall that pushed Guyana to 45-2 after 17 overs.

While Sarwan was bent on picking up the singles, Deonarine showed his intention to have a go at the bowling with two more fours square of the wicket off Martin, pushing Guyana to 69-2 and his personal score to 30.

The 50 partnership between himself and Sarwan was raised in the 21st over, after which the team’s 100 came in the 28th over, followed by Deonarine’s 50 off 54 deliveries and was decorated with six fours.

Deonarine was caught by Powell at cover when he attempted to drive a delivery from Lionel Baker, bringing an end to the 94-run third wicket partnership he shared with Sarwan from 23.3 overs. After recording his half-century he was followed by Sarwan who lost his off stump to Athanaze when he attempted to cut at a delivery that was too close for the shot, having faced 74 balls, hitting two of them for four in his 43.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul replaced Deonarine while Dowlin replaced Sarwan and the latter who is averaging 46.65 from his two Tests, quickly got into his stride with a deft steer to third man off Athanaze (3-36), while Chanderpaul drove Tonge through the covers for four.

Guyana lost Dowlin who was caught by Hamilton off Athanaze off the 19th delivery he faced in the 36th over with the scoreboard reading 134-5. But the dependable Chanderpaul who was joined by Royston Crandon, continued to soldier on for his team with an audacious drive through mid on off the bowling of Willet.

Crandon showed the fans, who filled the venue to its capacity, his ability to hit the ball hard when he struck Willet back over his head for six to raise his team’s 150 in the 39th over, pushing his score to 8 while his more illustrious partner Chanderpaul was on 22.

The lanky Athanaze continued to take wickets for the Leeward Islands, when he had Chanderpaul adjudged lbw to Athanaze without any addition to his or the team’s total in the 40th over.

Hicks 8 (2×4) opened his scoring for Guyana in this form of cricket with a sweetly timed drive through point off Willet, followed by an audacious flick off his legs through backward square for another, which brought a loud round of applause from both his teammates and the crowd before he was run-out at 164-7 in the 42nd over.

Guyana took their batting power play at the start of the 43rd over with the Crandon siblings at the wicket and the score 167-7. The younger Crandon, who played one limited overs match for the West Indies in the just concluded ICC Champions Trophy tournament in South Africa, drove Baker through extra cover with disdain for four.

It was all over bar the shouting, when Esaun Crandon, who had driven Athanaze through extra cover for four, pushed the first delivery of the 47th over bowled by Cornwall back past mid on to seal the win for Guyana.

He finished unbeaten on 17 made off 19 deliveries with one four, while his younger brother Royston was there with him at the end on 24 (1×4, 1×6) with Baker offering support to Athanaze, claiming 2-32.

Today is a rest day but the action resumes tomorrow at the Albion Sports Club ground, where Guyana will take on Barbados from 09:15 h.
LEEWARD ISLANDS innings
K. Powell c R. Crandon b Permaul 38
C. Hughes c wkp. Hicks b Barnwell 2
R. Morton lbw R. Crandon 7
T. Willet lbw Bishoo 10
S. Liburd b Barnwell 38
W. Cornwall run-out 22
J. Athanaze c Permaul b Deonarine 0
J. Hamilton stp. Hicks b Bishoo 34
G. Tonge c Chattergoon b R. Crandon 28
L. Baker not out 2
A. Martin c Dowlin b R. Crandon 0
Extras: (b-1, lb-2, w-8) 11
Total: (all out 49.5 overs) 193
Fall of wicket: 1-13, 2-43, 3-61, 4-68, 5-100, 6-101, 7- 145, 8-185, 9-193.
Bowling: E. Crandon 7-1-15-0, Barnwell 6-0-38-3, R. Crandon 9.5-1-55-3, Permaul 8-2-23-1, Deonarine 8-0-15-1, Bishoo 11-0-37-2.

GUYANA innings
C. Barnwell c Cornwall b Baker 5
S. Chattergoon c wkp. Hamilton b Tonge 3
R. Sarwan b Athanaze 43
N. Deonarine c Powell b Baker 51
S. Chanderpaul lbw Athanaze 22
T. Dowlin c wkp. Hamilton b Athanaze 14
R. Crandon not out 24
D. Hicks run-out 8
E. Crandon not out 17
Extras: (lb-5, w-2) 7
Total: (7 wickets 46.1 overs) 194
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2- 11, 3-105, 4-106, 5-134, 6-153, 7-164.
Bowling: Baker 10-2-32-2, Tonge 9-0-36-1, Cornwall 4.1-2-14-0, Willet 10-1-50-0, Martin 3-0-20-0, Athanaze 10-1-36-3.