Barnwell upstages Gayle as Guyana stuns J’ca

As the saying goes 'there is strength in numbers' and Guyana showed one-man Jamaica that with an excellent team performance to bolt into the finals of the Caribbean T20 tournament on Saturday night at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet St. Lucia.

SCORES: Jamaica 183/6 (20) vs 187/4 (18.4).

This Guyanese team has shown from game one when they defeated the CCC off the last ball, that they have steely fighting spirit and a never say die attitude. 

On the night, they withstood a Gayle force and came roaring back, thanks to a smashing 88 from Chris Barnwell, to win with ease in the end and book a date with T&T in last night’s title decider.

Gayle hammered the Guyanese bowling in an awesome assault that left many speechless. In only his second match since returning from Australia, he started slowly and then unraveled his ninth T20 century and first in the regional tournament. He finished unbeaten on 122 off 61 balls.

Set a victory target of 188 at 9.4 runs per over, the Guyanese was quickly out the block despite the early loss of Derwain Christian (4). Trevon Griffith and Ramnaresh Sarwan started the run gathering and when Sarwan left in the fourth over the score had already reached 34.

This provided a platform for Barnwell who attacked with gusto. He preferred to go straight down the ground and did it well, clearing the boundaries on four occasions and rolling over the ropes seven times as he counted 88 off 49 balls.

Matching him shot for shot was former West Indies U-19 batsman Griffith. He made 41 off 36 balls with two sixes and a four. The partnership was worth 79 runs off 55 balls.

At the fall of Griffith, all hinged on Barnwell and he and Narsingh Deonarine added 61 off just 26 balls that had the Guyanese fans jumping in the Western Stand to the strains of 'I am a Guyanese' being belted out by the deejay on hand.

While Gayle was setting the venue alight, that did not seem possible.

The broad-shouldered left-hander emerged from a circumspect start to blast five fours and 12 astonishing sixes, deflating a Guyana attack that had stifled scoring early on as Jamaica laboured to 41 for three after ten overs.

Of Gayle’s partners, only captain Tamar Lambert (23 from 17 balls) made it past ten, as they added 96 off 45 balls as 142 runs flowed from the last ten overs.

The century was Gayle’s first in the region, and it marked only the second triple figure score in regional T20s following John Eugene’s hundred for St Maarten against St Vincent and the Grenadines, five years ago.

Ronsford Beaton proved outstanding, bowling with pace and variation to snare two for 25 from his four overs.

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Scoreboard 
JAMAICA

D Bernard c Griffith b Jacobs    0
C Gayle not out    122
N Bonner b Barnwell    0
D Hyatt c Beaton b Bishoo    7
T Lambert c Barnwell b Beaton    23
A Russell c Sarwan b Crandon    10
Y Elliott c Permaul b Beaton    6
+A Thomas not out    0
Extras (b3, lb4, w8)    15
TOTAL (6 wkts, 20 overs)    183
Did not bat: N Miller, K Santokie, S Cotterrell.
Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Bernard, 2.5 overs), 2-15 (Bonner, 3.5), 3-33 (Hyatt, 8.3), 4-129 (Lambert, 16), 5-146 (Russell, 17), 6-176 (Elliott, 19.3)
Bowling: Jacobs 4-2-14-1, Barnwell 4-0-19-1 (w1), Beaton 4-0-25-2 (w2), Bishoo 3-0-41-1(w1), Crandon 4-0-49-1 (w1), Permaul 1-0-28-0.

GUYANA
+D Christian c Russell b Santokie    4
T Griffith c Russell b Elliott    41
R Sarwan b Cotterrell    19
C Barnwell run out    88
N Deonarine not out    12
L Johnson not out    12
Extras (w7, nb4)    11
TOTAL (4 wkts, 18.4 overs)    187
Did not bat: R Crandon, S Jacobs, V Permaul, D Bishoo, R Beaton.
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Christian, 0.4 overs), 2-34 (Sarwan, 4), 3-113 (Griffith, 13.1), 4-174 (Barnwell, 17.3)
Bowling: Santokie 3-0-33-1 (w1), Cotterrell 4-0-42-1 (w1, nb3), Miller 2-0-20-0 (w1), Russell 2.4-0-17-0, Bernard 2-0-28-0,  Elliott 3-0-24-1, Gayle 2-0-23-0 (nb1)
Result: Guyana won by six wickets.
Series: Guyana reach CT20 final.
Man-of-the-Match: Chris Barnwell.
Toss: Guyana.