Great fast bowling from Fidel Edwards, hurricane batting from Dwayne Smith and a level headed half-century from Kraigg Brathwaite were the ingredients required for Barbados to put one of the favourites, Guyana, out of the Nagico Regional Super50 tournament at the semifinal stage at the Queen's Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, on Thursday night.With the win Barbados now face T&T in the finals of the tournament at the Oval today from 2 pm.Edwards grabbed four wickets for 19 runs and effected two run outs to bowl out Guyana for 181.This should have been a competitive score on a slow pitch but Smith took the bull by the horns and slammed 62 off 37 balls to kill off any hopes Guyana had in staging a match out of it. And Brathwaite stayed to the end ensuring the victory with a very solid, workman-like unbeaten 55.Guyana missing star bat Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Paul Wintz, who stayed at the team's hotel with the flu, won the toss and batted scoring 181 all out off 48.4 overs to which Barbados replied with 182 for three in 46 overs.
Barbados' chase was set up by Smith who rushed to 61 off 37 balls with nine fours and three sixes and an opening partnership of 81 with a patient Brathwaite.Brathwaite occupied the crease until Barbados reached their target to remain undefeated on 55 in almost two hours off 115 deliveries with five fours. His mature performance was the ideal approach for his team. In the process he posted his highest score in this format of the game at this level.He found another useful partner in Kenroy Williams who was 40 not out off 78 balls with two boundaries. The pair put on 72 unseparated for the fourth wicket, with Williams making the most of his opportunity having come into the match as a replacement for Rashidi Boucher.Veerasammy Permaul, with the wickets off Smith, who trapped leg before and a marginal return catch of the Barbadian captain Kevin Stoute, finished with two wickets for 44 runs off ten overs.
Earlier, Edwards was the man who put Guyana under the gun with a brilliant first spell where he grabbed three wickets, then returned at the end to finish off the innings with two run outs and another wicket. The express right arm pacer ended with four wickets for 16 runs, as Guyana recovered to 181 all out after at one stage being 26 for four.The chief architects in the fightback were Narsingh Deonarine and skipper Chris Barnwell. The left handed Deonarine drew on all his experience to carve out a well played 58 on a slow pitch. He faced 108 balls and struck seven fours. Barnwell supported well with 37 off 54 balls, striking four fours and a six.The two added 65 runs for the fifth wicket.Later in the innings wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble struck 34 off 58 balls with three fours and a six and Veerasammy Permaul made 19 not off 17 balls with two sixes.
Scoreboard
Guyana vs Barbados
Guyana inns
Trevon Griffith c K Stoute b F Edwards 7
Assad Fudadin c S Benn b F Edwards 4
Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw b F Edwards 0
Leon Johnson lbw b J Holder 7
Narsingh Deonarine c A Nurse b J Holder 58
Christopher Barnwell c J Holder b K Williams 37
Royston Crandon lbw b S Benn 0
Anthony Bramble+ run out (F Edwards) 34
Veerasammy Permaul run out (F Edwards) 19
Devendra Bishoo not out 0
Ronsford Beaton c S Benn b F Edwards 0
Extras 1b 5lb 6w 3nb 15
Total all out (48.4) 181
Fall of wkts: 10, 15, 22, 26, 91, 91, 146, 181, 181, 181.
Bowling: Fidel Edwards 7.4-2-16-4, Jason Holder 9-0-35-2, Carlos Brathwaite 7-1-26-0, Ashley Nurse 6-0-24-0, Sulieman Benn 10-1-39-1, Kenroy Williams 5-0-21-1, Dwayne Smith 4-1-14-0.
Barbados: 182-3 (46 overs)
Dwayne Smith lbw Permaul 61
Kraigg Brathwaite not out 55
Kevin Stoute c and b Permaul 1
Jonathan Carter lbw Bishoo 9
Kenroy Williams not out 40
Extras (lb7, w8,nb1) 16
Total 3 wickets 46 overs 182
Fall of wickets: 1-81, 2-83, 3-110,
Bowling: Ronsford Beaton 8-1-44-0 (1nb 4w), Christopher Barnwell 5-1-19-0 (2w), Veerasammy Permaul 10-1-44-2 (1w), Devendra Bishoo 10-1-35-1 (1w), Royston Crandon 2-0-7-0, Narsingh Deonarine 10-0-22-0, Leon Johnson 1-0-4-0
Result: Barbados won by seven wickets