By Brij Parasnath

Brilliant batting by national Under 17 captain Bhaskar Yadram, together with a solid all-round performance from West Indies youth player Keemo Paul, and outstanding bowling by Looknauth Chinkoo, allowed Guyana to retain the West Indies Cricket Board Regional Under-19, 50-Overs title. The Guyanese celebrated a convincing five-wicket victory over Windward Islands in the grand finale contested at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex in St Vincent yesterday.

The Guyana bowling,which was spearheaded by Keemo Paul (5.2-0-16-3),and supported by Chinkoo (10-2-32-3), Sherfane Rutherford (6-2-23-2), Kheshram Seyhodan (10-1-32-1),and Marlon Hubbard (6-1-9-1),with excellent support from all the other players, stifled the Windwards batsmen and restricted them to 142 all out in 42.2 overs.
In successfully defending their regional limited-overs crown, Guyana raced to victory with seven overs to spare,as they amassed 145 for 5 in 43 overs.
Batting at the number five position, Bhaskar hit five fours and topscored with an unbeaten 41. He steadied the middle-order and featured in a 21-run fourth wicket partnership with Raymond Perez 24 (50 balls),and a 25-run fifth wicket stand with Joshua Persaud 13 (37 balls).
Openers,Ronaldo Renee (7 runs, 1×4 off 26 balls) and Sherfane Rutherford (21 runs, 1×6 and 2x4s off 27 balls),shared a 33-run first wicket stand in 8.2 overs.However,both departed in quick succession.
Keemo Paul entered and immediately set about increasing the tempo with positive attacking shots. Together with Raymond Perez,they pushed the score to 73 in 19 overs before Paul departed for 20, that included two sixes and one four off 28 balls. Their 35-run third wicket partnership had increased the overall run-rate to above three runs per over.
Perez (24 runs off 50 balls), and Yadram added 21 in 5.2 overs.Joshua Persaud,who replaced Perez, played the supporting role as Guyana gradually pushed closer to their victory target.
Ronaldo Ali Mohammed was not out on four when Yadram struck the winning runs which sparked wild celebrations by the elated Guyanese team who demonstrated great fighting qualities during the last four matches, as the dominated even when they faced daunting task in defending relatively small totals.
Yesterday, they faced a relatively small target and displayed their true champion qualities by overpowering their rivals to reign supreme once again.
Yadram and Ali Mohammed shared an unbroken 25-run sixth-wicket partnership and ensured that there were no more hiccups and they will surely cherish the title victory.
Earlier,when Windwards batted, Keemo Paul claimed the wickets of both openers.He had Anil Matthew caught by Sherfane Rutherford for 0; and Johann Jeremiah (8),also caught by Rutherford, who also got into the wicket-taking act after Chinkoo had destroyed the Islanders middle-order, with an impressive spell that brought rich rewards with the wickets of batting star Emmanuel Stewart, stumped by Joshua Persaud for 22; Alick Athanaze,who was caught by Akenie Adams for 18; and Ryan John, caught by Marlon Hubbard for one.
Kheshram Seyhodan forced Othneil Lewis to offer a catch to Perez and departed for 11 (1×6 off 33 balls), while Hubbard bowled Kassim Peltier for 12 (1×6 off 37 balls).
Paul returned to the attack and prised out Daron Nedd for 14 (1×6 and 1×4 off 9 balls), while Rutherford, in his second spell,bagged the prized wicket of Johnel Eugene who was bowled for the topscore of 42 (1×6 and 2x4s off 60 balls) and Rasheed Fredericks who was adjudged LBW for zero,to dismiss the Windwards for 142.
Akenie Adams did not get any wicket;however, his probing and restrictive five-over spell yielded only fourteen runs.
Guyana had beaten Windwards by 28 runs in their round robin encounter; so they maintained their superiority and will reign for another year with the regional title.
They showed that their triumph in 2015 at home was well merited and that they can compete successfully away from familiar conditions. That is the true test of champion players who rise to the occasion when faced with unfamiliar conditions and other odds that test your resolve and resilience.