Fudadin and Deonarine engineer strong Guyana  reply
(In Barbados compliments of Universal DVD, Kares Engineering and Giftland OfficeMax)
THANKS to a resilient 105-run third-wicket stand between Assad Fudadin and Narsingh Deonarine, Guyana were able to make a strong reply to Barbados’ first innings score of 316 at the end of the second day of their West Indies Cricket Board Regional 4-Day match at the Kensington Oval yesterday. Scores to date: Barbados 316 Guyana 187 for 3
Having dismissed the home team five minutes before lunch, Guyana raced to 17 without loss from the first four overs as Trevon Griffith and Leon Johnson recorded boundaries off Pedro Collins and debutant fast bowler Miguel Cummins respectively.
Barbados removed Griffith who was caught by Christopher Jordan at second slip off Collins while a short delivery from Jonathan Carter caught Johnson (16) by surprise as he got an edge to Sulieman Benn at first slip, leaving Guyana on 47 for 2.
Deonarine joined Fudadin and he was given a life by Benn, who dropped a skier running back from slip off Carter in the bowler’s next over when he was on 2 while Fudadin struck Jordan for two fours to push Guyana to 70 for 2 after 23 overs.
At tea, Guyana were 86 for 2 with Deonarine on 20 and Fudadin who was caught by Ryan Hinds at gully off a Cummins no-ball, on 28, as the Guyanese enjoyed a productive session despite losing the two wickets.
Guyana played aggressive cricket after tea as Fudadin, who struck the first delivery after the break from Benn for six, and Deonarine who got back-to-back boundaries off the same bowler after being dropped by Kraigg Brathwaite, took the attack to the home team bowling.
Fudadin got his 11th first class half- century from 84 deliveries and 132 minutes of batting, in which he struck seven fours and one six, by steering Kenroy Williams to a short extra cover position, while Deonarine was at the other end offering strong support on 35.
Deonarine received two more lives when Collins failed to hold on to a return catch, while Omar Phillips grassed another offer from the same batsman, his fourth of the innings before he scored his 35th first class half-century, doing so off 108 deliveries where he struck six fours while batting for 137 minutes.
When Fudadin, who faced 136 balls and struck eight fours and one six in 191 minutes was adjudged lbw to Jordan at 152 for 3 in the 52nd over, his productive third-wicket partnership with Deonarine who was joined by Sarwan, came to an end.
A short delivery from Jordan was dispatched to the cover boundary with disdain by Sarwan who also drove the same bowler with ease to the same area in his next over. Deonarine survived a confident appeal for lbw against Benn, just before the close of play.
At the close, Deonarine was on 63 (141b, 189mins 7×4) while Sarwan who was dropped by Collins at long leg when he looked to pull the luckless Cummins over that area, was on 19 made off 41 deliveries and decorated with three fours from 46 minutes batting.
Earlier in the day, the home team resumed on 227 for 6 with Jonathan Carter on 50 and Dowrich 9 and lost the former to the second ball of the day’s play, caught by Chanderpaul at first slip off Bess without any addition to his or the home team’s score.
A couple of boundaries from both Dowrich and Jordan saw Barbados race to 253 for 6, with the 250 coming off the first delivery of the 96th over, when the latter steered Bess to a vacant third man position, which was followed by a sweetly timed drive through extra cover two balls later.
Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul was introduced into the attack after five overs and immediately the stranglehold was applied to the home team’s batting as he sent down back-to-back maidens, before Deonarine removed Jordan who was brilliantly caught by Johnson at slip for 12.
Jordan faced 20 balls and batted for 46 minutes, hitting two fours while adding 34 valuable runs with Dowrich who was joined by the lanky Sulieman Benn and at the end of the first hour’s play, Barbados were 276 for 7 with Dowrich on 36 and Benn 9.
Guyana removed Benn who was caught by Johnson at gully off Barnwell, but Dowrich continued to fight for Barbados, driving Barnwell with authority through extra cover for his sixth four, as he inched closer to becoming the fourth Barbadian to score a half-century in the team’s first innings.
Barbados reached 300 off 110.4 overs and Dowrich got his third first class half-century facing 70 deliveries and hitting six fours while batting for 99 minutes, before Collins who replaced Benn and made 16, dispatched Ronsford Beaton for two fours in one over, with ease.
Dowrich’s long vigil came to an end when he lost his middle stump to Beaton, having scored 54 off 82 deliveries with six fours during his 115-minute vigil while Collins was lbw to an arm-ball from Permaul five minutes before lunch, leaving Cummins unbeaten on 0.
When play resumes today, Guyana will be looking to score the remaining 131 runs to snare first innings points from their opponents, with whom they were locked on 24 points at the commencement of this match.