Guyana wins Caribbean T/20 Cricket Title

Guyana laid hands on the inaugural West Indies Cricket Board Caribbean T/20 Cricket Competition{{more}} with a nail biting one wicket win over Barbados last Saturday night at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.

In a match that ebbed and flowed, the Guyanese owed their victory to 19-year-old Jonathan Foo, of Chinese and Indian descent, who clobbered 42 not out, in just 17 balls, to exhume his side, which was buried in defeat at 109 for 9, needing another 36 runs off 11 balls.

Foo hit two successive sixes off Martin Nurse, the second a fortuitous one, as Larry Babb failed to hold on to the catch, but parried the ball over the ropes.

In the last over, Guyana needed 11 runs. Foo smashed the first two balls for consecutive boundaries off fast bowler Javon Searles.

The third ball went past Foo’s bat. With the fourth ball, Foo took a short single, leaving number 11 batsman Davendra Bishoo to get two runs in two balls.

Bishoo obliged but thanks to some poor fielding by Sulliemann Benn, as Barbados cracked under the pressure.

Foo, who hit 4 fours and 3 sixes, was undoubtedly the Man of the Match.

Before Foo’s heroics, the Barbados bowlers, led by Nurse, had stripped Guyana’s batting bare as he hauled in 5 for 35, Ryan Hinds 2 for 30 and Benn 2 for 21, as they went to work, making 135 runs seem like a million.

Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, who hit 26 and Narsighn Deonarine 21, were the other contributors up the order for Guyana.

Earlier, Bishoo with 2 for 14, helped restrict Barbados’ batting, as they labored to 134 for 5 off their 20 overs. Johnathan Carter struck a patient 57 not out for Barbados who left with the consolation of $10 000.

Bishoo copped the Man of the Series award.

It was a triumph that earned them the title of champions, prize money of US$25,000 and a ticket to South Africa for next month’s lucrative Airtel Champions League, where US $11 million is at stake for the winner.

Guyana is drawn in Group B with the Mumbai Indians, the Lions and Bangalore.

It was also Guyana second at the regional level, having taken the first Stanford Competition back in 2006.

Trinidad and Tobago, who earned the right to represent the region at last year’s inaugural Champions League in India, after they won the now defunct Stanford T/20 in 2008, had to settle for third place and $6,000.

The hosts beat Jamaica by 10 wickets under the Duckworth / Lewis system in the third place play off that preceded the final. Jamaica pocketed $4,000.

Chasing a revised target of 89 from 13 overs, after rain interrupted their pursuit, Trinidad and Tobago romped to victory with 17 balls to spare.

The 2010 Caribbean T/20 competition had the benefit of being shown live on ESPN cable channel. (RT)