Sarwan lashes 95 for Guyana

GEORGETOWN: Guyana, strengthened by the return of West Indies players Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, reached 266 for the loss of five wickets yesterday against West Indies “B” on the first day of their Carib Beer Series cricket match. Continuing from the tea time score of 178 for three, the Guyanese lost the wickets of Travis Dowlin for 94 and Narsingh Deonarine for 35. The not out batsmen were skipper Chanderpaul on 15 and Damodar Dasrath on three. Earlier, West Indies and Guyana vice-captain Sarwan (95) and Dowlin were involved in a 162-run partnership at Enmore Community Center Ground on the east coast.

Resuming from the lunchtime total of 79 for two, Sarwan and Dowlin batted steadily in the second session before pacer Jason Bennett had Sarwan caught behind by wicketkeeper Patrick Browne for 95 as he tried to cut for a boundary. Sarwan’s dismissal, just five short of his third century at  this level, occurred just before tea. Winning the toss and asking Guyana to bat first, West Indies ‘B’ opening bowlers Jason Bennett and Dwight Washington removed openers Sewnarine Chattergoon and Krishna Arjune by the fifth over with only 14 runs on the board. Sarwan and Chanderpaul have bolstered Guyana’s fragile batting line up by joining the team after completing West Indies duties during the just-concluded tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa.