… beat Grenada by 57 runs
AT last, even though it is too late, Guyana managed to pull off a win in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) women’s limited overs tournament, when they defeated Grenada by 57 runs at the Blairmont Community Centre ground yesterday.

Grenada, who like Guyana lost both their matches to Trinidad and Tobago and St Vincent, had earlier won the toss and, inviting the host to take first strike in hazy conditions, reduced them to 173-8 from their 50 overs, despite an opening partnership of 71 between player-of-the-match June Thomas (43) and Davanie Sewnarine (23).

But the Grenadian girls found the going tough in their turn at the wicket against a steady line-and-length bowling employed by the home team in a match which had no bearings on the group, and were restricted to 116-8 from 50 overs, thus handing the Guyanese a 57-run victory.

The running of the home team batters left much to be desired as six run-outs marred their innings. Thomas’ running was questionable at times against a disciplined bowling attack from Grenada, which saw only two boundaries being scored at the half-way mark of Guyana’s innings at 70 without loss.

The demise of Sewnarine who was found short of her crease by Debbie Ann Lewis (1-36) in her attempt to steal a single from a Thomas drive, saw the Guyanese lose three more wickets via run out, including that of Thomas, Darlene Gale (09) and Shemaine Campbell (02).

When Smartt, who struck Racquel Williams through the midwicket area twice in successive overs for boundaries, was caught by Williams at wide long on off Akera Peters for 22 (2×4; 24 balls), she became the first wicket to fall to a bowler.

A fighting and unbeaten 22 from Erva Giddings who, along with skipper Zaheeda Samdally (05*) took 11 runs off the final over bowled by Lewis, helped the Guyanese to their eventual total, their highest in this year’s tournament.

Grenada began their reply in hot conditions and were immediately placed on the back foot by a level-headed approach in the Guyanese bowling attack led by Giddings and Samdally, who conceded 26 runs from the first 15 overs, with two wickets in the bag for their country.

Susan Redhead (19) fought back valiantly for her country with an audacious straight drive off the bowling of Sabrina Munroe (1-23), but she lost Afy Fletcher who was caught by Giddings at mid-off when she drove airily at Smartt (1-24), before she lost the battle to Munroe when she played across and had her stumps rattled.

At her demise, Grenada were 54-4 in the 27th over of their innings and things did not look good for them after both Lewis and Anisha Thomas were sent back into the comfort of the pavilion by Campbell to be 81-6 at the end of the 40th over.

Grenada passed the 100 mark for the first time in the tournament in the 45th over and when the final delivery was bowled at 16:25 h, they had managed to reach 116-9 from their 50 overs against the bowling of Sewnarine (2-28) and Campbell (2-28), handing  a consolation victory to Guyana.