… T&T beat Grenada by 10 wickets
HOSTS Guyana were sent packing out of this year’s West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) women’s regional limited overs tournament, when St Vincent defeated them by three wickets in their second round group B encounter at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, yesterday.

A miserable top-order batting from the home team saw them slip to 78-8 in the 29th over of their innings, but thanks to a 50-run ninth-wicket partnership between Darleen Gale who made an unbeaten 45 and Erva Giddings who contributed 21, Guyana reached 153 all out, to which St Vincent replied with 154-7 from 46.1 overs.

Like the home team, the visitors lost two quick wickets in Samantha Lynch (5) and Camille Garrick (1) to Zaheeda Samdally to be 11-2 in the fourth over of their innings when they began their reply, before Cordel Jack (51) and Juliana Nero (25) added 36 for the third wicket from 9.5 overs.

Nero, who was given a life by Samdally off the bowling of Giddings, was severe on the home team bowlers hitting Samdally for three consecutive fours while Jack, who was a silent partner at the other end, got into the act by hitting Joann Van Sertima for two fours.

Guyana removed Nero who was bowled by Tremayne Smartt and when Hazel Ann Foster was adjudged lbw to Prudence Williams for three, the match was evenly balanced with St Vincent 73-4 in the 23rd over, with Jack on 26.

Jack, who survived a confident lbw shout off the bowling of Davanie Sewnarine when on 42, saw the demise of Clea Hoyte who was adjudged lbw to Sabrina Munroe, but reached her 50 when she pulled Sewnarine to a wide long on position for her fifth four from the 94th delivery she faced.

She holed out to Giddings at long leg off the next delivery and with St Vincent 114-6 in the 34th over, the Guyanese were harbouring thoughts of a come-from-behind victory but Nicole Samuel and her skipper Sherry Ann John had other ideas.

A short delivery from Williams was sent crashing over midwicket by John, Samuel dispatched Campbell over midwicket for her first four and St Vincent, who had lost to Grenada in their first round encounter, inched closer to an upset victory..

Guyana got the wicket of John who was caught at midwicket by Samdally off Giddings for 22 at 147-7 in the 45th over, but it was all over for the Guyanese bar the shouting from the vociferous throng of supporters gathered at the ground, as St Vincent reached 154-7 from 46.1 overs with a leg bye.

Samdally ended with 2-30 for Guyana and despite receiving support from Giddings, Smartt, Williams, Sewnarine and Munroe who each took a wicket, her effort was not good enough, to leave the hosts with one foot in the door for a semi-final spot.

Guyana, winning the toss and opting to take first strike in sultry conditions earlier on a wicket which was offering assistance to the opening bowlers, lost both opening batters in June Thomas and Sewnarine who both made 5, to be 15-2 in the fifth over.

Smartt (12) and Campbell (19) took the score to 35 before the former and Samdally (0) were both dismissed in the 16th over of the innings, but Campbell who was given a life by wicketkeeper Samuel off John, showed she was not fazed by their dismissal, when she hit John for four, to push Guyana to 43-4 in the 18th over.

She followed it up by hitting Jack’s fifth delivery of her first over, over midwicket with disdain for a maximum after surviving a confident lbw appeal to the same bowler two deliveries earlier in the 19th over.

Guyana posted their 50 from 18.2 overs and quickly lost Campbell who was caught by Nero at deep cover off John and when Sabrina Munroe (0) was brilliantly stumped by Samuel off Jack, followed by Williams (6), the home team, who lost their first round group A encounter to Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) at the same venue on Sunday, were 65-7 in the 25th over.

O’Selmo (5) was left stranded backing up a drive from the bat of Gale, but her demise at 78-8 in the 29th over brought Giddings to the wicket to partner Gale and together they took the fight back to the opposing bowlers with good running between the wickets.

Giddings struck Jack through mid-on while Gale steered John to third man for boundaries, as Guyana’s 100 was posted in the 34th over. But in her attempt to up the scoring rate, Giddings got a thin edge through to Samuel off the bowling of Charles.

Gale found a useful partner in last batter Joann Van Sertima (6) and they added 25 valuable runs for the final wicket, before the latter was run-out leaving Gale unbeaten for a well-played 89 balls 45 which was decorated with two fours.

Charles (3-36) and John with 3-31 did the damage with the ball for St Vincent, who made light work of the total to come away with the win.

Across at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, T&T defeated Grenada by 10 wickets in their encounter to complete their second win of the tournament and at the same time, guaranteeing themselves a semi-final spot.

Winning the toss and electing to field first, T&T bowled out their opponents for 73 from 38..5 overs, with only Marilyn Nelson (18) and Marilyn Etienne (10) being the batters to get into double figures against the bowling of Alisa Mohammed (3-12), Anisa Mohammed (2-9) and Stacy Ann King 2-25.

In reply, Amanda Samaroo with 38 and Devika Singh 21 ensured their team reached 76 without loss from 17.1 overs to top the group, leaving their next opponents St Vincent and Grenada, whom they defeated in the first round, to battle for the final semi- final spot.

Action in the tournament will continue today when defending champions Jamaica oppose Dominica at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground and Barbados and St Lucia will do battle at the Everest Cricket Club ground. Both matches commence at 09:30 h.