Left arm spinner Kevin Umroa grabbed five wickets as Guyana defeated the Leeward Islands by one run (DLS) method when the Regional U17 50-over tournament continued yesterday. Guyana were steering them down the barrel of defeat with Leeward Islands needing 14 runs from three overs with six wickets in hand, but Umroa maintained a steady line to finish with 5-26 from five overs, becoming the second player in the tournament, joining fellow Guyanese Kevlon Anderson as the only bowlers with five-wicket hauls.

Guyana were inserted on a decent batting pitch at the Brian Lara Stadium and lost Alex Algoo for three with the score on 26. However Sachin Singh and Junior Sinclair consolidated as they added 42 for the second wicket before rain interrupted. The left-handed Singh pulled pacer Miandre James to the mid-wicket boundary before driving Javel Alford off the back foot for four. Singh was put down off a difficult chance off Alford at cover but undaunted; he drove Alford sweetly through the covers for another boundary.

 

Sinclair on the other hand was very watchful at first as he rotated the strike well; he then struck off-spinner Carlon Tuckett for four through mid-wicket and smashed him for six in the said region before hitting Zawandi White to the long leg boundary.
Singh continued to attack and drove Elroy Francis Jnr. down the ground and pulled him for fours through mid-wicket before sweeping Uri Smith for another boundary as Guyana sensed a huge total.

 

But then the rain came and sent the players off the field with the score on 68-1 in 19.3 overs; Singh on 35 and Sinclair 19. The interruption lasted for over three hours and when play resumed the game was reduced to 21 overs; Guyana finished on 72-1 with Singh on 37 and Sinclair on 21. Using the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern method, Leeward Islands were set a revised target of 140.

 

Pacer Jevon Schultz started off with five wides as the first over cost nine runs. Umroa was introduced early and made an impact immediately; he sent back White for six and had Smith stumped by Kevin Christian for eight leaving the score on 21-1.
But Leeward Islands fought back through a third wicket stand of 77 between Trishawn Francis and Paul Miller. Francis hit Ashmead Nedd and Kevlon Anderson for sixes before driving Nedd for four while Miller, who was put down early off Omroa took boundaries off Sinclair, But Nedd brought back Schultz and the Berbice pacer removed them both in quick succession to bring
Guyana back into the contest.

 

Singh was given the ball at a crucial stage and leaked 14 runs from his lone over as Elroy Francis threatened to take Leeward Islands home, but then Umroa had him caught at the wicket to trigger the slide. Umroa had Sharma Boodgenarine and Tuckett both stumped without scoring. Shaquan Pemberton and James were run out for 10 and one respectively at 134-8 and Guyana were two wickets away from victory.

 

Anderson was asked to bowl the last over in which the Islanders needed three. He bowled three dot balls before James was run out. The fifth ball leaked a single and with two needed off the final delivery, last man Demari Benta (14) was caught by Christian attempting a big hit to spark celebrations among the Guyanese as Leeward Islands were bowled out for 138. Schultz claimed 2-16 and Anderson 1-22. Umora was named man-of-the-match.

At National Cricket Centre, Windward Islands were 46-4 batting first against Barbados when rain stopped play.
And at Gilbert Park, Trinidad and Tobago beat Jamaica by eight wickets on the DLS method. Jamaica were 113-8 in 45 overs when the rain came and Trinidad and Tobago were set a target of 79 off 20 overs, and reached home in 17 overs losing two wickets.

 

 

 

 

(Source: kaieteurnewsonline.com)