Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados post opening wins
KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) — West Indies youth World Cup hero Keemo Paul starred with bat and ball to propel Guyana to an impressive start to the WICB Under-One Day Championship which opened here on Wednesday.
Paul, who played a key role in West Indies winning the World Under-19 Championship earlier this year, grabbed four wickets and blasted a half-century to help Guyana trounced ICC America’s Under-19.
He picked up four for 37, Akenie Adams three for 27 and Marlon Hubbard two for 15 as ICC Americas were bowled out for 173 in 48.5 overs at the Arnos Vale playing field.
Akashdeep Gill top-scored for ICC Americas with 41, while Aran Pathmanathan chimed in with 28.
Guyana stumbled to 34 for three on the chase, but Paul led the fightback with a top score of 72 from 93 balls featuring six fours and four sixes.
He also shared a match-winning 111-run third-wicket partnership with Bhaskar Yadram who made an unbeaten 57 that included nine fours off 63 balls.
In other first-round matches, Barbados beat the Leewards Islands by seven wickets at Park Hill playing field and Jamaica secured a six-wicket win over Trinidad and Tobago (T&T)at Sion Hill.
The Bajans bowlers rattled the Leewards line-up as they crumbled for a paltry 105 in 40.2 overs.
The main destroyers were Tremaine Harris and Joshua Bishop four for 20 and three for 21 respectively.
Only Tyrone Williams with 34 offered any resistance to the Bajan attack, while the other two batsmen to pass double figures, Jaidel Richardson and Karima Gore, scored 12 and 10, respectively.
An unbeaten 30 from Nicholas Kirton spurred Barbados to victory with supporting knocks of 21 from Shian Brathwaite, 19 from Shemar Springer, and 18 from Leniko Boucher.
Jamaica made light work of T&T who were bowled out for 131, mainly through the efforts of Miguel Smith’s five for 35 and Royal Jeavor’s three for 20.
Opener Keagan Simmons with 28 and tailender Jonathan Bootan 26 were the main scorers for T&T who slipped from 24 for the loss of two wickets and never recovered.
Opener Keshawn Beale steered Jamaica to victory with an unbeaten 56 containing four fours and one six while Michael Frew added 45.
