BARBADOS beat Guyana by seven wickets on the Duckworth/
Lewis/ Stern system yesterday in a truncated fourth and
penultimate match in the five-match series between the
the two teams at the Everest Cricket Club on Camp Road to
level the series 2-2.
The match was initially reduced to 35 overs per side due to a
couple of rain breaks and finally to 26 overs before Barbados
began their reply.
The host on the back of a 66-run stand for the third wicket
between Afraz Khan and Shid Gajnabi, led Guyana to 119-8
off 35 overs.
Khan’s 69-ball 28 included three boundaries, while Gajnabi,
the brother of West Indies Women’s player Shabika Gajnabi,
hit two fours, from 56 balls in his 28.
Kijani Inniss took 3-14 while Anahri Hinds had 2-28.
The young cricketers from the 166Sq mile island of Barbados
reached 106-3 in further reduction to register a second
consecutive victory.
Guyana lost Daniel Johnson (2), who was bowled by Kijani
Inniss 9-1, before Deshawn Ramnauth, surprisingly used to
open the batting, was bowled by Liam Sookram for one with the score on 13-2.
Khan and Gajnabi repaired the early damage with a fluent
half-century partnership before Kijani Inniss bowled Khan at
79-3. Inniss struck again when he bowled Afraz Ali for a duck
at the same score.
Gajnabi departed when he was caught and bowled by
seamer Natarie Lavine as Guyana slipped to 84-5 in overcast
conditions and strong breeze blowing from the Atlantic
Ocean.
Rain was released by angry-looking dark clouds that hovered
over Georgetown, stopping play with Guyana on 98-6.
When play resumed, only Adrian Emmanuel of the other
batters offered resistance with 13 before he was run out.
The position could have been a lot worse had Bajans not
gifted the home 26 wides in 33 extras.
Oliver King was run out for one with just three runs on the
board as Barbados began their chase badly.
Khan trapped Ky-mani Inniss LBW for 17 with a six and four at
23-2 in 4.2 overs as the Bajans looked very positive in their run-chase.
Lavine again looked the most talented player in the visiting team and added 57 for the third wicket with opener Jon- David Green, who was content to play the supporting role. Lavine, the only Barbadian to reach a fifty, reached the ropes four times on the large ground, and a Bajan fan in the stands rushed onto the field with the ‘Broken Trident’ (Barbados Flag), waving it energetically.
However, when Jason Ganpat bowled Lavine to end his
aggressive 30, his team was 80-3 from 16.5 overs.
ZDari Scantlebury joined the solid-looking Green and the pair
brought up the 100 with entertaining stroke play to the
delight of the Bajans in the stands.
After a rest day today, the final and deciding game is
scheduled for tomorrow from 9:30 AM.
