By Sean Devers (Kaieteur News)

A well crafted 74 by Kemo Paul led Guyana to its third consecutive victory in this year’s Regional 50-over Under-19cricket tournament when the hosts beat Trinidad & Tobago by five wickets yesterday at the GCC Bourda in the third round of the competition, yesterday.

Paul hammered three fours and six sixes from 67 balls to post his third successive half-century and along with Taignarine Chanderpaul, who blasted two fours and three sixes in his cameo of 41 from 32 balls, spearheaded Guyana to 164-5 in 28.2 overs in reply to T&T’s 163-9 in the match which was reduced to 32 overs per side.
Camillo Carimbocas’ entertaining 66 and 34 from opener Amir Jangoo had lifted the visitors to 143-3 before the last six wickets tumbled for 20 runs as off-spinners Sharaz Ramcharran (3-27) and Daimon Waldron (2-25) kept the T&T batsmen in check after a good start.
Leaders Guyana are in a great position to claim their first 50-over title after taking the three-day version of the tournament for the first time in seven years last week, since yesterday’s win has virtually assured them of a place in the final.
A soggy outfield delayed the start of play by three and a half hours causing the reduction in overs; Guyana won the toss and asked Trinidad & Tobago to bat on slow track in glorious sunshine and shortened boundaries.
Jangoo and Keron Kanhai added 29 on the heavy outfield before Kanhai was run out for 14. Skipper Jeremy Solozano’s horrible tournament with the bat continued when he was LBW to Balchand Baldeo first ball, as two wickets tumbled at the same total.
Carimbocas joined the left-handed Jangoo and the pair took the score to 86 with a well compiled 57-run partnership before leg spinner Steven Sankar had Jangoo caught at point after facing 50 and balls and hitting two fours and a six off of Waldron.
The burly Brain Christmas and Carimbocas, who disdainfully dumped Paul onto Shiv Chanderpaul Drive outside the ground, batted in positive fashion and carried the score 143 with a 57-run partnership before Carimbocas was LBW to Ramcharran after facing 73 balls and hitting three fours and a six.
Christmas took over the lead role and clobbered Paul for a boundary through square leg while Jemeel Maniram greeted Paul with an audacious square-driven four in the same over.
Maniram (7) and Samuel Roopnarine (1) were both removed at 157 while Anderson Phillip fell to Waldron for a duck two runs later as T&T slumped to 159-7. It was soon 161-9 when Christmas (22) edged Waldron to the Keeper and Akil Seetal was run out without facing a ball.
When Guyana began their reply Chanderpaul and Hetymer put on 37 in quick time. The usually sedate Chanderpaul smashed pacer Phillip down the ground for four before effortlessly depositing him on top of the Lance Gibbs Stand with the ball rebounding onto Merriman’s Mall. The West Indies Under-19 left-hander was not finished yet and finished off the over with an ‘orgasmic’ square drive which reached the ropes like a tracer bullet.
Hetymer (12) slashed Seetal for consecutive fours before he hit a high full toss to mid-on. Skipper Brian Sattaur, who clouted Seetal for a murderous six over point in his seven, hit a full toss from the same bowler straight to point to leave Guyana on 45-2.
Chanderpaul danced into Roopnarine and crashed him into the Rohan Kanhai Stand before clobbering Justin Joseph for another massive six. Joseph, however, had the last laugh when Chanderpaul, watched by a vocal crowd which included former West Indies Captain Clive Lloyd, pulled him to deep mid-wicket to end his innings.
Chanderpaul’s demise came at 69-3 and brought Askay Homraj to partner Paul, who reached his 50 with his third six. He celebrated with an expansive slash for four and a huge six into the Media Centre in their delightful 45-run stand before Paul who bowled by Joseph with the scores tied.
Debutant Renaldo Mohamed (5*) formalized the win with 3.4 overs to spare as Seetal was the most successful T&T bowler with 2-34.
The competition continues tomorrow with fourth round matches. The Leeward Islands playing Barbados at Everest, Trinidad & Tobago battles Jamaica at DCC and the ICC Americas take on Windward Islands at Wales. Guyana draws the bye