Nagamootoo ... took three wickets - FILE
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC:
SEWNARINE CHATTERGOON played the innings of a lifetime to lead Guyana to a seven-run victory under the Duckworth-Lewis Method and the inaugural KFC Cup West Indies limited-overs championship over Barbados yesterday at the Bourda Oval.
Chasing 250 to win from their allocation of 50 overs, it all came down to Guyana needing 19 runs from the last two overs to maintain their unbeaten record, and prevail over Barbados for a third time in the Final.
The Guyanese, cheered on by a capacity, patriotic crowd, effectively claimed their ninth regional limited overs title, when Neil McGarrell hit left-arm spin bowler Sulieman Benn for a straight six to put the hosts ahead of their target score with one ball to spare in the penultimate over.
With the gloom of the evening rapidly gathering, umpires Billy Doctrove and Norman Malcolm offered McGarrell and Derwin Christian light for the second time in the space of three overs, and the two Guyanese gleefully accepted with one over remaining.
THE DECISION
The Barbadians could hardly believe the decision, and captain Courtney Browne remonstrated with the umpires, as the Guyanese ran on to the field to begin celebrations, and Benn lay flat in the middle of the pitch, no doubt nursing his ego.
Chattergoon was the real hero of the Guyana innings though. He hit 14 boundaries in 119 from 144 balls that earned him the Man-of-the-Match award and made him a shoe-in for the Most Valuable Player of the Final Four Series, following his 62 in the semi-final.
It was Chattergoon's second regional limited-overs hundred and he shared half-century partnerships with fellow opener Krishna Arjune, who scored 34 from 60 balls, and fellow left-hander Narsingh Deonarine, who made 34 from 37 balls.
Although Benn was the villain for conceding 16 runs from the eventual final over, he was Barbados' most successful bowler with three wickets for 36 runs from seven overs.
Corey Collymore took two for 35 from 10 overs to finish with a total of 15 wickets, the most in the entire competition and claimed the Best Bowler award.
Barbados fought hard to reach 249 for eight from their allocation of 50 overs with left-handed opener Martin Nurse hitting the top score of 63 from 83 balls that included eight fours and two sixes.
Kurt Wilkinson gave him support with 43, Ryan Hinds scored 41, and Floyd Reifer made 25 to give some substance the visitors' total.
Mahendra Nagamootoo and Neil McGarrell, Guyana's two most experienced spin bowlers, snared three wickets apiece for 53 and 57 runs respectively.
Chattergoon and Arjune provided Guyana with a launching pad of 92 for the first wicket and tamed the much vaunted Barbadian fast bowling attack that comprised Collymore, Ian Bradshaw, Fidel Edwards, and Tino Best, who gained little from the benign pitch.
The Barbadians had to wait until the 21st over to make the breakthrough, when Arjune lofted Bradshaw's slower ball and was caught at mid-off.
Barbados seemed to have the match under control, when they claimed Guyana's two big fishes - Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Sarwan, the Guyana and West Indies vice-captain, was caught at cover off Collymore for five, and Chanderpaul, the Guyana and West Indies captain, was dubiously caught behind off Collymore for the same score to leave their side 119 for three after 26 overs.
ROOKIE
Deonarine, himself a rookie West Indies batsman, entered and added 90 for the fourth wicket with Chattergoon.
The two mixed sound defence with good running and well calculated moments of aggression to put Guyana back on track before Deonarine was caught at fly slip off Benn in the 41st over.
This triggered a slide that saw Guyana lose four wickets for 16 runs in less than five overs to plunge to 225 for seven.
Benn bowled Lennox Cush for nine with the first ball of the 45th over, and added Assad Fudadin stumped off the last ball of the same over, before Edwards bowled Chattergoon off the inside edge in the 46th over.
The umpires offered Christian and Nagamootoo light at the end of the 46th over with Guyana 225 for seven, and two runs ahead of the target score under the D/L Method, but for some strange reason they chose not to take it, and in the end, justified their team's faith by taking them over the hump.
It was Barbados 14th appearance in the Final of the regional limited-overs championship, and the 10th time they failed in their bid to lift the title.
Guyana were making their 13th appearance in the Final.
