Cornwall (5/36) rocks Guyana

ALBION: In one day, the Leeward Islands transformed themselves from double losers to big time winners, knocking off top-of-the-table Guyana with a resolute team effort at the Albion Community Centre ground in the WICB Regional One Day Tournament. “Man-of-the-Match”, all rounder Wilden Cornwall rocked the Guyana batting to 199 all out from 50 overs with the tournament’s first five wicket haul, then Runako Morton in an innings that was a study in obdurate resistance, ensured that the visitors knocked off the total just in the nick of time.

Morton, batting with a stomach ailment, in an unbeaten innings of 74 that included only two boundaries, a six and a four, sealed the victory with five balls to spare. He constructed small but meaningful partnerships with all the middle order batsmen after Cornwall’s five for 36 held Guyana under 200. With the Albion wicket being used for the second day in a row, batting meant taxing, back-breaking work as exemplified by Morton’s gruelling knock.  Against a Leewards attack that lacked genuine pace or vicious spin, but epitomised steadiness, Guyana never managed to cut loose, indeed no batsman on either side did.

They were reduced to 35 for three in the 17th over after medium pacer Elsroy Powell, bowling a restricting line and fullish length, took down two Guyanese batsmen early on.  Captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul along with left-hander Narsingh Deonarine, engineered a recovery, pushing the score to 93 until a cunning delivery from Tonito Willett dislodged Chanderpaul for 32. Deonarine, Guyana’s top scorer for a second time in this competition then marched on, with Lennox Cush at his side. The 21 year-old left hander, playing on his home ground, faced 72 balls for 51, his half-century brought up with his fourth four. First up, pacer Kerry Jeremy, produced a fine spell of ultra-restrictive bowling, finishing five overs for only four runs.  Then Cornwall was used in three spells and tore into Guyana’s batting from ten overs.