PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Guyana Jaguars became the latest side to fall at the hands of giant killers West Indies Emerging Players when they crashed to a dramatic one-run loss in a final-over finish here late Sunday.

In pursuit of 180 after rain at Queen’s Park Oval turned the Group B contest into a 30-overs per side affair, Jaguars just missed out to fall to their second defeat in five games and slip to third place in the standings on 12 points.

Jonathan Foo, who top-scored with 67 from 54 balls, threatened to take the Jaguars over the line, but once he was caught at the wicket off the second ball of the final over bowled by speedster Jermaine Levy with six runs required for victory, the advantage shifted.

The Jamaican-born Levy was the best bowler with three for 49 while left-arm spinner Camarie Boyce sent down a steady six-over spell which yielded two for 26, as Emerging Players starved the Jaguars top order.

The victory for Emerging Players, meanwhile, kept them top of Group B on 16 points, from four wins in five outings, and on course for a surprise semi-final spot.

Hosts Trinidad and Tobago Red Force are also on 16 points, but lie second due to an inferior net run rate.

Sent in, Emerging Players managed 167 for eight from their allotted overs with the in-form all-rounder Justin Greaves completing his third half-century of the campaign with 53.

Joshua DaSilva, already with a hundred in the tournament, chipped in with 39 and crucially added 86 for the third wicket with Greaves to pull the innings around from 16 for two in the fourth over.

Greaves struck four fours and a six off 62 balls, while DaSilva faced the same number of deliveries and counted a single four.

Once the stand was broken, however, six wickets tumbled for 44 runs in the space of 32 balls as Jaguars, through left-arm spinner Chandrapaul Hemraj (3-18) and spinner Ramaal Lewis (3-22) put a brake on the scoring.

Emerging Players hit back early in the run chase as openers Hemraj (5) and Kemol Savory (0) fell cheaply to leave the Jaguars tottering on five for two in the second over.

Captain Leon Johnson tried to stage a recovery in a 38-run third-wicket stand with Chris Barnwell (24), but once he picked out deep midwicket with a Boyce full toss in the ninth over, Jagaurs lost four wickets for 45 runs to lose their way.

Foo, though, led a late assault by clubbing eight fours in an 86-run, seventh-wicket partnership with Lewis (40), setting the game up for a dramatic finish.