Guyana lifts Red Stripe Bowl

Virtuoso performances from Ramnaresh Sarwan and captain Carl Hooper saw Guyana vanquish Barbados to lift the Red Stripe Bowl at Discovery Bay, Jamaica. The final, thankfully spared truncation by rains that have been pelting the Caribbean throughout the tournament, also established Guyana as the premier side in regional one-day cricket.

Asking Barbados to bat after winning the toss, Hooper juggled his bowlers well. Impeccable field placements and miserly bowling saw Barbados creep along, they were 57/3 in 24.4 overs at one stage.

It took a 52-ball 57 from Hendy Bryan to lift the run-rate. Accompanied by a more sedate fifty from Ryan Hinds, Bryan's flurry of four fours and four sixes saw Barbados to a total of 221 for five in fifty overs, a competitive, but certainly not match-winning total.

Guyana's attitude, right from the start, took the game away from Barbados. Despite losing in-form opener Sewnarine Chattergoon for 13, Sarwan and Travis Dowlin collaborated in a stand of 99. Dowlin, promoted to the opening slot, proved to be the perfect compliment to Sarwan's strokeplay, scoring 54 off 109 balls.

Sarwan's 80 off 102 balls, with eight boundaries, was a textbook innings for the chase. Taking plenty of singles and dispatching the bad balls contemptuously, his knock formed the spine of Guyana's reply. When Hooper came out and scored 45 in 26 deliveries, with four fours and two sixes, the result was effectively settled.

"Guyana played the better cricket today. It was a surprise to us that they played so many spinners but, in the end, their all-round cricket gave them victory," said Barbados captain Sherwin Campbell.

The award for Most Valuable Player of the Final Four went to Sarwan, who received US 2,000 dollars and a trophy for his performances. Players of both sides received medals as well.

"We played well and we deserved it," said winning captain Hooper after the match. Guyana has won this trophy twice now, both times under the leadership of Hooper.

Sarwan's and Hooper's form augurs well for the upcoming West Indian tour of Sri Lanka, which begins with a three-day domestic fixture on Nov. 4.