DESPITE three rain interruptions and a tight final over from West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, Group A leaders Windward Islands defeated Guyana by five wickets on the Duckworth/Lewis Method at the Kensington Oval  Thursday night in the West Indies Cricket Board Caribbean T20 tournament.
Asked to score a revised target of 119 from 16 overs, after Guyana were held to 140 for 8 from their 20 overs of which Christopher Barnwell top-scored with 32, the Windward Islands reached 119 for 5 off the final delivery of their innings, thanks to Johnson Charles’ aggressive 65, despite Bishoo’s 3 for 15.
With the win, the Windward Islands denied Guyana a place in the final four for the second successive year to advance to the semifinal round and a matchup against Jamaica today.
Winning the toss and inviting his opponents to take first strike, Windward Islands and West Indies skipper Darren Sammy (3 for 11) must have regretted making that decision, when a pugnacious looking Trevon Griffith struck Kenroy Peters for two sixes in the first over of the match.
Delorn Johnson, (3 for 40) replaced Peters at the Joel Garner End and after being struck for two fours by Griffith and his opening partner Sewnarine Chattergoon, got the wicket of the former who was caught by Liam Sebastien at backward square leg for 17 that was decorated with two sixes and one four from 10 balls.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul 10 (1×4) replaced Griffith and after Chattergoon steered Delorn Johnson to third man for four to push Guyana to 38 for one, the first rain interruption of the match occurred, forcing the players off the field.
When play resumed, Chattergoon pulled Gary Mathurin to backward square leg for four, while Chanderpaul paddle-swept the same bowler off successive deliveries in the sixth over to fine leg for four, raising Guyana’s 50 with the first from 5.3 overs.
Guyana slipped to 58 for 3, losing the wickets of Chanderpaul who was caught by Keddy Lesporis off Mathurin and Narsingh Deonarine () who was run-out by Mathurin, after he wandered out his crease in search of a run that was not there.
Unfortunately for Guyana, Chattergoon was given out caught by Devon Smith at midwicket off Delorn Johnson for 27 (22balls 4×4, 1×6), but not before he struck Liam Sebastien over wide midwicket for his lone six.
The quick demise of Leon Johnson (12), Royston Crandon (0) and Derwin Christian (0), all dismissed by Sammy in the 16th over, left Guyana shakily placed on 100 for 7 with Barnwell at the other end on 19.
Some lusty hitting from Barnwell who struck two fours in his 32, Steven Jacobs (9*) and Veerasammy Permaul 15* (1×6) carried Guyana to their eventual total and up to press time, Windward Islands were preparing to commence their reply.
The Windward Islands reached 5 without loss at the end of the first over that was bowled by Jacobs, before the dark clouds overhead opened for the third and final time, forcing the players off the field with Charles on 4 and Miles Bascombe 1.
When play resumed, they progressed to 49 with Charles in a nonchalant mood, slog-sweeping Jacobs for sixes in successive overs, followed by a drive past Deonarine at extra cover for four, while Bascombe swept Permaul to long leg for 4.
Guyana removed Bascombe, who was caught by Leon Johnson off Crandon and Andre Fletcher (1) who found Barnwell at slip from a thick outside edge off Bishoo, leaving the opposition on 52 for 2 in the eighth over, with Charles on 34.
A composed-looking Devon Smith joined Charles who continued to attack the Guyanese bowling with disdain, by hitting Barnwell over midwicket for his third six, having posted his and the match’s lone half-century from 34 balls, with three fours and two sixes.
In his attempt to hit a Bishoo googly back over the bowler’s head, Charles only succeeded in hitting the ball back to the bowler, bringing an end to his innings and one that kept his team in the game, with their score being 88 for 3 in the 13th over, of which he contributed 65 (43b, 3×4, 3×6).
Sammy joined Smith and both batsmen struck Crandon for six, before the former was caught by Griffith at wide long off, when he looked to hit the bowler for his second six, to leave his team on 112 for 4 in the penultimate over.
They began the final over which was bowled by Bishoo, needing three runs to win and lost Shillingford who was caught by Christian off the third delivery of the over for a duck, before Mathurin and Smith steered them home off the final delivery.
Surprisingly to all who gathered at the venue, Sammy was declared the Star-of-the-match ahead of Charles. The Windwards will oppose Jamaica at 16:00hrs today in the first semifinal, with the defending champions Trinidad and Tobago taking on host Barbados in the second from 20:00hrs.
The third-place playoff and final are set for tomorrow at the same venue, with the winner being guaranteed a cheque for US$62 500, one-year bragging rights and a place in the Nokia Champions League tournament which will be played in India later this year.

SCORECARD
GUYANA innings
T. Griffith c Sebastien b D. Johnson 17
S. Chattergoon c D. Smith b D. Johnson 27
S. Chanderpaul c Lesporis b Mathurin 10
N. Deonarine run-out 0
C. Barnwell b D. Johnson 32
L. Johnson b Sammy 12
R. Crandon lbw Sammy 00
D. Christian c D. Johnson b Sammy    0
S. Jacobs not out 15
V. Permaul not out 15
Extras: (w-12, lb-6)    18
Total: (for 8 wickets, off 20 overs) 140
Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-58, 3-58, 4-72, 5-100, 6-100, 7-100, 8-122
Bowling: Peters 1-0-18-0 (w-1), Mathurin 4-0-28-1, D. Johnson 4-0-40-3 (w-6), Sebastien 3-0-14-0, Sammy 4-0-11-3 (w-1), Shillingford 4-0-23-0.

WINDWARD ISLANDS (target: 119 off 16 overs)
J. Charles c & b Bishoo 65
M. Bascombe c Johnson b Crandon 14
A. Fletcher c Barnwell Bishoo 1
D.S. Smith not out 25
D. Sammy c Griffith b Crandon 9
S. Shillingford c wkp. Christian b Bishoo 0
G. Mathurin not out 1
Extras: (lb-2, w-2) 4
Total: (for 5 wickets, off 16 overs) 119
Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-52, 3-88, 4-112, 5-116.
Bowling: Jacobs 3-0-25-0, Permaul 3-0-16-0, Bishoo 4-0-15-3, Crandon 3-0-35-2, Barnwell 3-0-14-0.