HAVING lost their first round encounter to defending champions Trinidad and Tobago by 26 runs the previous day, host Guyana rebounded to defeat the Leeward Islands by nine wickets at the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday, thanks to the efforts of skipper Ronsford Beaton and Joemal La Fleur.
Winning the toss and inviting their opponents to take first strike in  the  West Indies Cricket Board Under-19 second round fixture, Guyana, thanks to the bowling of Beaton (4-28) and Anthony Adams who took 3 for 29, bowled out their visitors for 121 in 41.5 overs. La Fleur, who had earlier taken 2 for 26 when the Leeward Islands batted, returned to stroke an unbeaten 53, made off 55 balls and decorated with five fours, and along with Clinton Pestano, 31 unbeaten, guided Guyana to 123 for 1 from 23.2 overs to complete an easy victory.
Throughout the three-day format of the tournament which preceded the limited overs version, coach Hubern Evans was making several calls for the batsmen to post runs on the board, as the bowlers were doing their job.
Hence it was no surprise yesterday, when Beaton called correctly and asked the visitors to take first strike and justified that decision when he had Wasim Mintos caught at third man by Linden Austin, one of two replacements in the home team’s side, with the final ball of the first over.
Duan Webb (10) and Akeem Saunders who top-scored with 36, pushed the score to 21 before Webb was trapped on the crease by Beaton who followed it up with the wicket of Shaquille Martina (0) who was also went  lbw. And when the burly Rahkeem Cornwall (5) was caught at the wicket off Adams, the Leewards were 39 for 4 in the 14th over.
Leewards reached their first 50 from 17.3 overs, as Saunders found a useful partner in Nino Henry, with whom he added 43 for the fifth wicket, with Saunders hitting both Adams and Khan for boundaries, while Henry swept Adams over backward square leg for four as well.
But when the visitors seemed set to reconsolidate their innings following Beaton’s early strikes, Saunders picked out a diving Chandrapaul Hemraj at cover. Henry followed shortly after, caught by Hemraj at short third man also off Adams, to leave the Leewards on 89 for 6.
Larry Audain (8) and Tristan Hanley (5) brought up the 100 off 33 overs before they were both dismissed and even though Daniel Doram (14*) pulled Beaton through the vacant midwicket position for four, he saw the demise of Dymon Parris (3) who lost his leg stump to a pumped-up Beaton.
La Fleur wrapped up the innings when he had Chavil Archibald (1) hole out to Pestano at long off, leaving Doram unbeaten as the Leewards were bowled out for 121 at 12:29hrs.
Asked to bat seven overs before the lunch break, Guyana moved to 33 without loss with La Fleur who opened the innings with Dominique Rikhi on 15 which included an authoritative drive through extra cover, while Rikhi was on 16 that included two edges for four past Dymon Parris.
After the break, Guyana reached 50 from 11.2 overs as La Fleur stepped into overdrive when he struck Doram back over his head twice for four, following the loss of Rikhi who was stumped by Parris off a leg side wide sent down by Cornwall, but not before he had posted 51 for the first wicket with La Fleur.
Pestano replaced Rikhi and after settling in to read the bounce of the pitch, took the attack to the opposition by pulling Cornwall through midwicket for four, followed by two swept fours off Martina whose lone over went for 15 runs, as Guyana moved to 100 for 1.
Dutifully, La Fleur sealed the win while posting his first half-century in this year’s tournament, when he pulled Doram through wide mid on for his fifth four, much to the delight of his teammates, as he added 72 for the second wicket with Pestano who was unbeaten on 31, from 11.4 overs.
Following today’s rest day, the action will continue tomorrow with Guyana playing the newly crowned three-day champions Jamaica at the Demerara Cricket Club ground, while the Leewards  take on Barbados at the Everest Cricket Club ground and Trinidad and Tobago oppose Windward Islands at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground.