da realbet： High-riding Guyana advanced to the final of 2001 Red StripeBowl regional limited overs cricket competition despiteplaying to a tie with Jamaica in the first semi-final atKaiser Sports Club here yesterday
Haydn Gill12-Oct-2001High-riding Guyana advanced to the final of 2001 Red StripeBowl regional limited overs cricket competition despiteplaying to a tie with Jamaica in the first semi-final atKaiser Sports Club here yesterday.After restricting Jamaica to 191 for nine in their 50 overs,Guyana, needing to score at 3.9 runs an over, survived amiddle-order hiccup to also reach 191 for nine at the end oftheir 50 overs.The tied result meant Guyana advanced to the final havingscored more wins (3) than Jamaica (2) in the preliminaryround.The Guyanese silenced the lively Jamaican crowd by levellingthe scores with a ball remaining and even though tailenderColin Stuart, who made a vital 14, was run out off the lastball, Guyana were on safe ground.Main contributors in the Guyana innings were West Indiesbatsman Ramnaresh Sarwan with 35 and captain Carl Hooper(31) but it was all-rounder Neil McGarrell, batting sensiblyat No. 8, who paved the way for a nail-biting finish with a15-ball unbeaten 24.Chasing 192 for victory, Guyana got into early trouble,losing opener Andrew Gonsalves for three in the second overto pacer Jermaine Lawson.Fellow opener Sewnarine Chattergoon (18) went with the scoreon 31 for two and Guyana were further setback whenShivnarine Chanderpaul (12) was stumped by wicket-keeperKeith Hibbert off Ricardo Powell.The decision was given by third umpire Eddie Nichollsmonitoring the television replays.By the 35th over, Guyana seemed well on the way to defeat asSarwan and Hooper departed at crucial stages.But needing 18 runs off the last 12 balls and 11 in thefinal over bowled by Marlon Samuels, Guyana approached theirvictory task positively and aided by inaccurate throwing anda mis-stumping by Hibbert which allowed Stuart to escape,they managed to level the scores.Earlier, Jamaica, sent in to bat on a pitch full of moisturewere rocked by two early blows from pacer Reon King, whofinished with three wickets for 51 runs.The West Indies speedster forced in-formed opener ChrisGayle (1) to sky a catch for Chanderpaul to take runningaround from the covers in the fifth over after collidingwith Mahendra Nagamootoo.