FOLLOWING on the back of skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brandon Bess’ record-breaking last-wicket partnership, man-of-the-match Narsingh Deonarine took a career-best 7 for 26 to guide Guyana to a comprehensive innings and 66-run victory over hosts Barbados just before lunch last Monday at the Kensington Oval, also known as the ‘Mecca’ of cricket in the Caribbean. The 37-year-old Chanderpaul who stroked an unbeaten 125 and Bess (with a career-best 33), added 115 as Guyana took a first-innings lead of 124 over their opponents who were bowled out for an embarrassingly low 58, thanks to Deonarine’s spell.
In an invited comment with Chronicle Sport, the 28-year-old Deonarine who is also the leading run-scorer in the tournament, having aggregated over 400 runs so far, said the state of the pitch after Guyana batted on the third day, was an encouraging sight to him.
“Late in the day, the pitch was assisting the spinners and there were a lot of cracks evident, as we noticed from the previous day along with roughs, so all I had to do was put the ball in the right areas and the wickets would come.”
That he did to perfection from the time he removed Omar Phillips without scoring the previous afternoon to accounting for Pedro Collins also without scoring, 10 minutes before lunch on the final day, to surpass his previous best of 5 for 94 against the Leeward Islands in St Maarten four years ago.
According to Deonarine, he was brimming with confidence that he would do well with the ball and even wanted to start the attack, a point he highlighted to the coach Esaun Crandon and Chanderpaul at the team’s meeting.
“I was never surprised when Shiv give me the new ball after the first over, as I asked to open the bowling, but after Beaton bowled the first over and Gunners (Veerasammy Permaul) sent down the second, Shiv called me over.
The ball was hard and there were lots of bounce coming out of the pitch and knowing that the Bajans cannot handle spin very well, my aim was to put the ball in the right areas, which I did and together with the close catching at the wicket by the guys, especially Badyr (Assad Fudadin), we got the job done,” said Deonarine.
Asked if he was surprised at the way the Guyanese performed, taking into consideration what they were forced to endure (inadequate practice and gear being left back by LIAT), prior to the match, Deonarine replied in the negative, saying everyone was focused.
“We are very tough mentally. Everyone knows of the problems between the former Guyana Cricket Board and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) so we remained focus, something the coaches have been instilling in us, while everybody wanted to do well for themselves and Guyana as well,” stated Deonarine.
Barbados had their own problems too, with their senior selection panel, led by George Linton and including Winston Reid and Michael Inniss, tendering their resignation to the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) minutes before the first ball was bowled in the fifth round encounter.
Quizzed on whether this would have created problems within the home team camp, Deonarine also replied in the negative adding, “We are all mature men here paid to do a job and that is to play cricket. Let’s face it, their selectors resigned, our entire board resigned.
The difference is they have a board in place to administer their cricket and we don’t, since the West Indies Cricket Board is not paying any attention to the IMC. All we can do is go out there and get the job that we are being paid to do, completed to the best of our ability, amidst all the distractions.”
Like so many young cricketers, Deonarine who last played for the West Indies two years ago against South Africa also at Kensington, said he has his eyes on a recall to the senior team, hopefully during the Digicel 2012 Series against Australia.
For now, he has his eyes focused on taking Guyana into the final of this year’s tournament, as they are assured of a semifinal place irrespective of the outcome of the final round which gets under way tomorrow.