Guyana in Red Stripe Bowl final

High-riding Guyana advanced to the final of 2001 Red Stripe Bowl regional limited overs cricket competition despite playing to a tie with Jamaica in the first semi-final at Kaiser Sports Club here yesterday.

After restricting Jamaica to 191 for nine in their 50 overs, Guyana, needing to score at 3.9 runs an over, survived a middle-order hiccup to also reach 191 for nine at the end of their 50 overs.

The tied result meant Guyana advanced to the final having scored more wins (3) than Jamaica (2) in the preliminary round.

The Guyanese silenced the lively Jamaican crowd by levelling the scores with a ball remaining and even though tailender Colin Stuart, who made a vital 14, was run out off the last ball, Guyana were on safe ground.

Main contributors in the Guyana innings were West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan with 35 and captain Carl Hooper (31) but it was all-rounder Neil McGarrell, batting sensibly at No. 8, who paved the way for a nail-biting finish with a 15-ball unbeaten 24.

Chasing 192 for victory, Guyana got into early trouble, losing opener Andrew Gonsalves for three in the second over to pacer Jermaine Lawson.

Fellow opener Sewnarine Chattergoon (18) went with the score on 31 for two and Guyana were further setback when Shivnarine Chanderpaul (12) was stumped by wicket-keeper Keith Hibbert off Ricardo Powell.

The decision was given by third umpire Eddie Nicholls monitoring the television replays.

By the 35th over, Guyana seemed well on the way to defeat as Sarwan and Hooper departed at crucial stages.

But needing 18 runs off the last 12 balls and 11 in the final over bowled by Marlon Samuels, Guyana approached their victory task positively and aided by inaccurate throwing and a mis-stumping by Hibbert which allowed Stuart to escape, they managed to level the scores.

Earlier, Jamaica, sent in to bat on a pitch full of moisture were rocked by two early blows from pacer Reon King, who finished with three wickets for 51 runs.

The West Indies speedster forced in-formed opener Chris Gayle (1) to sky a catch for Chanderpaul to take running around from the covers in the fifth over after colliding with Mahendra Nagamootoo.