Guyana Under 19 cricketers, for the third consecutive year, heisted the Regional Under-19 title when they made light work of the Windward Islands by beating them 5 wickets in the final at Arnos Vale Playing Field here on Sunday.
In search of a victory target of 143, the defending champions, save for a few minor glitches, eased to victory with 8 overs remaining, to and to their triumphs in Jamaica in last year and at home in 2014.
Middle order batsman Bhaskar Yadram top-scored with an unbeaten 41, Raymond Perez got 24 while opener, Sherfane Rutherford chipped in with 21.
Jonathon Taylor (2-16) and offspinner Alick Athanaze (2-27) were the most successful bowlers for the Windwards.
Earlier, the Windwards, who were asked to take first knock, found the bowling of West Indies Under-19 seamer Keemo Paul (3-16) and off-spinner Looknauth Chinkoo (3-32 ) a handful and bowled out for 142 off 42.2 overs.
Johnel Eugene top-scored with 42 and opener Emmanuel Stewart chipped in with 22, but the Windwards’ much-vaunted batting machine found itself limited.
The Windwards started badly on a pitch offering some assistance to the Guyana pacemen of Paul and Rutherford who used the short ball to good effect.
Anil Matthew fell without scoring to the second ball he faced in the second over two balls after being put down off an attempting hook shot. He went with three runs on the board and his partner Johann Jeremiah followed in the fifth over for eight to leave the score on 17 for two, with Paul claiming both scalps.
Stewart struck 2 fours in a 35-ball knock in adding 34 for the second wicket with Athanaze who made 18. But when he was controversially given out stumped off Chinkoo in the 15th over, a collapse followed as four wickets tumbled for 36 runs to leave the side on 87 for 6 in the 28th over.
Eugene, who batted with a level head as usual, struck 2 fours and a 6 in his 60-ball knock, while also adding 34 for the seventh wicket with Kassim Peltier (12).
In reply, Guyana got a decent start of 33 from Rutherford and Ronaldo Renee (7) as the Windwards opening bowlers of Ryan John and Daron Nedd sent down a series of short deliveries as they attempted to exploit what life was left in the pitch.
The openers though lost both openers in the space of five runs to slip to 38/2 in the 9th over.
However, Perez and Paul (20) put on 35 for the third wicket to bolster the innings before Yadram, took control of the innings to see Guyana home.
Yadram, a powerfully built right-hander, faced 72 balls and struck five fours, and featured in partnerships of 25 for the fifth wicket with Joshua Persaud (13) and unbroken 26-run, sixth wicket partnership with Ronaldo Alimohamed (4 not out), to spark celebrations.
Scores:
WINDWARD ISLANDS 142 all out off 42.2 overs (Johnel Eugene 42, Emmanuel Stewart 22; Keemo Paul 3-16, Looknauth Chinkoo 3-32)
GUYANA 145 for five off 43 overs (Bhaskar Yadram 41 not out, Raymond Perez 24, Sherfane Rutherford 21; Jonathan Taylor 2-16, Alick Athanaze 2-27)
WINDWARDS
J Jeremiah c Persaud b Paul 8
A Matthew c Rutherford b Paul 0
E Stewart c Persaud b Chinkoo 22
A Athanaze c Adams b Chinkoo 18
J Eugene b Rutherford 42
R John c Hubbard b Chinkoo 1
O Lewis c Perez b Seyhodan 11
K Peltier b Hubbard 12
D Nedd c Rutherford b Paul 14
R Fredericks lbw b Rutherford 0
J Taylor not out 0
Extras (b1, lb5, w6, nb2) 14
TOTAL (all out, 42.2 overs) 142
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Matthew), 2-17 (Jeremiah), 3-51 (Athanaze), 4-55 (Stewart), 5-59 (John), 6-87 (Lewis), 7-121 (Peltier), 8-133 (Eugene), 9-133 (Fredericks), 10-142 (Nedd)
Bowling: Paul 5.2-0-16-3, Rutherford 6-2-23-2, Chinkoo 10-2-32-3, Adams 5-0-14-0, Seyhodan 10-1-32-1, Hubbard 6-1-19-1.
GUYANA
R Renee c (substitute) b Athanaze 7
S Rutherford c Athanaze b Fredericks 21
R Perez c Fredericks b Taylor 24
K Paul b Taylor 20
B Yadram not out 41
J Persaud b Athanaze 13
R Alimohamed not out 4
Extras (b1, lb1, w13) 15
TOTAL (5 wkts, 42 overs) 145
Did not bat: A Adams, K Seyhodan, L Chinkoo, M Hubbard.
Fall of wickets: 1-33 (Rutherford), 2-38 (Renee), 3-73 (Paul), 4-94 (Perez), 5-119 (Persaud)
Bowling: John 2.3-0-9-0, Nedd 5-0-9-0, Lewis 9.3-0-22-0, Peltier 2-0-13-0, Fredericks 9-0-36-1, Athanaze 8-0-37-2, Taylor 6-0-16-2.
Result: Guyana won by 5 wickets.
Series: Guyana win Under-19 one-day title.
Toss: Guyana.