Busta Cup: History nearly repeats itself (2 February 1999)

2 February 1999

Busta Cup: History nearly repeats itself

Haydn Gill

There was something quite unusual about the third round Busta Cup match between Barbados and Guyana which ended on Sunday at Kensington Oval.

Almost unbelievably, the Barbados-Guyana clash of 1993 at the same ground produced a whopping number of similarities.

The one exception was the result. While Guyana won that match by four wickets, Barbados triumphed this time by 16 runs.

Apart from the fact that the team scores were nearly identical, there was several other common occurences.

Let's examine the scores. In the latest match, Barbados made 133 and 213, while Guyana were dismissed for 127 and 203. In 1993, Barbados scored 117 and 213 while Guyana managed 113 and 218 for six.

Barbados had a 21-year-old debutant in both matches - Adrian Griffith in 1993 and Corey Collymore in 1999.

Roland Holder, captain now and captain then, topscored in Barbados' first innings with 50 this year. Six seasons ago, he was also the topscorer with 49.

On Friday, the main damage was caused by an off-spinner, Garvin Nedd, who took for four for 48. In 1993, another off-spinner, Roger Harper captured six for 24.

In this match, Guyana suffered a collapse in their first innings, losing their last six wickets for 45. In 1993, their last six wickets fell for 29.

Back then, they conceded first innings lead by four runs, this time it was six runs.

In both matches, Barbados made 213 in the second innings. The topscore six years ago was 85 from Philo Wallace, a Spartan player and former Ellerslie schoolboy.

This time around, the highest score was 71 from Dave Marshall, another Spartan player and Ellerslie old boy.

Guyana's victory target back then was 218, now it was 220.

Their chase in 1993 was led by Shinvanrine Chanderpaul, a left-handed middle-order batsman who made 56. On Sunday, it was an innings of 51 from another left-handed No. 5 batsman, Andre Percival ,that gave them hope.

Now comes the one difference, which in some way bears another similarity.

Guyana's win in 1993 was helped by the achievements of two brothers in the second innings. This year, two brothers were making a fight of it before they were dismissed in the crucial, closing stages.

In 1993, Sudesh Dhaniram made 47 and his brother Sunil hit the winning runs. Now, Mahandra Nagamootoo made 27 and his brother Vishal was second last out for 19.

Had Mahendra Nagamootoo made about 20 more runs, as Sudesh Dhaniram did, and had Vishal Nagamootoo not been dismissed, as was the case with Sunil Dhaniram, history might have repeated itself.

1993: Barbados 117 (R. Holder 49, P. Wallace 17; R. Harper 6/24) and 213 (P. Wallace 85, A. Griffith 40; B. Browne 4/46, R. Harper 3/36, C. Butts 3/70). Guyana 113 (S. Chanderpaul 35, K. Semple 24; S. Skeete 4/19, V. Walcott 3/39) and 218-6 (S. Chanderpaul 56, Sudesh Dhaniram 47, Sunil Dhaniram 7 not out). Guyana won by six wickets.

1999: Barbados 133 (R. Holder 50; G. Nedd 4/48) and 213 (D. Marshall 71, W. Reid 57; K. Darlington 5/29). Guyana 127 (C. Lambert 27; W. Reid 5/25, C. Collymore 3/40) and 203 (A. Percival 51, R. Sarwan 36, Mahendra Nagamootoo 27, Vishal Nagamootoo 19; W. Reid 4/42, C. Collymore 3/54). Barbados won by 16 runs.

Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)