Guyana beat Barbados in rain-affected final

Guyana played aggressive, resilient cricket to beat Barbados by 27 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis system in a rain-affected Red Stripe Bowl final at the Kaiser Sports Club at Discovery Beach in Jamaica.

Guyana made 212 in their 50 overs, then grabbed three quick wickets to have Barbados struggling at 100 for 5 when rain tumbled down at 3:40 pm. Play resumed after an hour, and Barbados had to score 84 more off 11 overs to win. On a pitch that was never helpful for batting, Barbados had little chance against a Guyanese team that bowled and fielded well. Three of the five remaining wickets fell to run-outs, and Barbados were eventually dismissed for 156, 28 runs short of their revised target.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who captained Guyana under a cloud following a disagreement over whether he should have had the job in the first place, was understandably overjoyed. "I couldn't ask for better," he said after the game. "I had great support from the team. We knew that once we had 200 runs on the board it was going to be very hard to get with our bowling and with the wicket turning a bit."

Barbados's captain Courtney Browne said the loss of Ryan Hinds for 9, which made it 92 for 4 in the 24th over, was crucial. "It should have been a cakewalk," he said. "We should have never lost the fourth wicket. It's basically a case of thinking cricket."

After winning the toss and batting, Guyana ended up with the highest score of the three matches at the Kaiser Sports Club, on a pitch that was again untrustworthy with unpredictable bounce and pace. Importantly, the Guyanese fulfilled one of their pre-match ambitions by not losing a wicket in the first 15 overs, and having wickets in hand at the end. Ryan Ramdass, who had been under pressure to keep his place in the side, made 37 from 84 balls, and put on 45 for the first wicket before Sewnarine Chattergoon fell to Ryan Hurley's offspin for 24.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (22) and Chanderpaul (19) then made useful contributions, but it was Lennox Cush, a tall right-hander who eventually won the Man of the Match award, ensured Guyana would push past 200 with 41 in 50 balls. And the spinning allrounders, Mahendra Nagamootoo (17) and Neil McGarrell (25), played crucial, rapid-fire knocks at the death. Barbados's left-arm seamer, Ian Bradshaw, did well again with 3 for 37 from his ten overs.

Guyana's bowlers had the perfect start, when Kurt Wilkinson was caught behind in the first over, from Rayon Griffith (2 for 1). The impressive 20-year-old Dwayne Smith (29) and the experienced Sherwin Campbell (33), seemed to be carrying Barbados forward when Smith was bowled by one that shot through low (41 for 2). Campbell played a number of imperious drives and cuts, but was run out at the non-striker's end by Chanderpaul from extra cover as he was too late in turning back on a single that was never there (76 for 3).

The crucial loss of Hinds, flicking loosely to midwicket, and then Floyd Reifer for 19 (99 for 5), proved crucial in the Duckworth/Lewis calculations. Barbados went into the rain break at 100 for 5, well behind Guyana in the equation. And although the weather improved, Barbados's luck didn't, allowing Guyana to claim the Red Stripe Bowl.

100 for 5, well behind Guyana in the equation. And although the weather improved, Barbados's luck didn't, allowing Guyana to claim the Red Stripe Bowl.