Homraj and Paul hit 50s as Guyana down ICC Americas
… Bascombe also scores breezy half-century

THANKS to half-centuries from Ashkay Homraj and Kemo Paul, hosts Guyana were able to defeat ICC Americas by 49 runs in their second round West Indies Cricket Board Regional Under-19 limited-overs fixture, at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground yesterday.Winning the toss and opting to bat first in hazy conditions, the home team started slowly before ending on 229 for 9, thanks to 69 from Homraj and 51 from Paul who scored his second half-century in as many days, in the face of some disciplined bowling from their opponents.
Skipper Nikhil Dutta, Arsh Buch and Keifer Phil took two wickets each for 35, 37 and 43 runs respectively for the visitors, who in reply were bowled out for 180 off 43.5 overs, with the dreadlocked Onias Bascombe hitting five sixes and one four in his pugnacious 53 before being the last man out.
Shiraz Ramcharran and Steven Sankar ended with 3 for 15 and 3 for 25 while Balchand Baldeo took 2 for 44 for Guyana, whose batting display left much to be desired in the first half of the contest.
On a good batting track, the Guyanese laboured to 65 for 3 off 22 overs, losing their three experienced batsmen in Shimron Hetmyer 21 (2×4) Brian Sattaur (8) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (18), as the ICC Americas used a pace/spin combination to good effect, with left-arm spinner Delray Rawlins keeping things tight from the North Road End.
Paul, whose 50 was scored off 81 balls with two fours and a similar number of sixes struck over long on, off Dutta, and Ramcharran 17 (1×4) pushed the score to 98 before the lanky Ramcharran was caught by Dutta off Farhan Malik (1 for 37).
At Ramcharran’s demise, Homraj joined forces with Paul who began to change gears and they added 44 for the fifth wicket from 5.5 overs, during which time Paul got his 50, before ICC Americas removed Paul who was smartly stumped by Arjun Parikh off Dutta.
Baldeo (0) followed next, but Homraj and Kemol Savory (19) added 69 for the seventh wicket from 9.1 overs, with Homraj reaching his half-century from 44 balls, counting six sweetly-timed fours, before Savory was dismissed, while Guyana lost Homraj and Sankar 8 (2×4) in the final over.
In their reply, ICC Americas met an all-spin attack consisting of Baldeo, Ramcharran, Waldron and debutant Akil Wallace. Ramcharran removed Aniket Joshi (01) and Trevis Ross (4) while Baldeo accounted for Armaan Kapoor (4), leaving them on 22 for 3.
Dutta (29) and Malik (26) pushed the score to 72 with a 50-run fourth-wicket partnership, before their team slipped to 108 for 6, losing Dutta, Alex Dores (13) and Malik, while Buch (8) was later dismissed at 131 for 7 after 39 overs.
With the run-rate climbing high and having seen Parikh forced to retire hurt after he was struck on the ankle by Paul at 105 for 5, Bascombe opened his shoulders and struck Waldron for three sixes in two overs, followed by another over the Lance Gibbs Stand, off Ramcharran.
When Phil (4) was run-out by Sankar, Bascombe breathed a sigh of relief as the sight of Parikh strolling to the wicket gave him hope of reaching his 50, which he did by hitting Chanderpaul over midwicket for his fifth six, after scoring four the previous delivery.
However, in his attempt to clear long on, Bascombe found the waiting hands of Paul at mid-on, who accepted the offer to seal the win for the home team, leaving Parikh unbeaten on 8.

(By Calvin Roberts )