Breakout League: Cyrus restricts Rainforest Rangers in tournament opener
A meltdown or royal proportions was in store for the Guyana Rainforest Rangers on Friday afternoon as they slumped to a 25-run defeat at the hands of the Windward Islands Infernos in the opening match of the West Indies breakout League.
Darel Cyrus roared back with a 4-fer (Photo credit: CWI)Nial Smith claimed 3 wickets (Photo credit: CWI)
At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago, the Guyanese team won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Windward Islands Infernos struggled, but a captain’s knock from Alick Athanaze enabled the team to post 166-6 in their 20 overs. Openers Johann Jeremiah and Ackeem Auguste hit 14 and 1 respectively before perishing to Guyana’s pace department.
While wickets fell around him, Athanaze held his nerve to craft an unbeaten 91 off 57 balls that was laced with 5 fours and 7 sixes. The next best score, 26 off 32, came off the bat of Dillon Douglas.
While the Infernos were barely getting by with 121 in 18 overs, they managed to turn it around in the final two, hitting 16 and 29 runs off the 19th and 20th to move past the 150-run mark.
Kevlon Anderson also hit a half-century (Photo credit: CWI)
Nial Smith was the pick of the Guyanese bowlers in taking 3-28 from 4 overs; while Jediah Blades claimed 2-34 from the same number of overs.
In stark contrast, Guyana had a better start to their batting innings, and a 107- run partnership between Adrian Sukhwa and Kevlon Anderson had the Guyanese eyeing a comfortable victory — until it all came crashing down in the 15th over.
Sukhwa produced 57 runs in 43 balls, and Anderson hit 58 runs in 43 balls, to get the score to 120 before the second wicket fell. However, careless shots and overall thoughtless batting came from the remainder of the Guyanese batters. Among the lot, Riyad Latif had the highest score of 4 not out. The Guyanese eventually reached 141-9 in their 20 overs, and lost the match by 25 runs. Darel Cyrus led the comeback for the Infernos by snaring 4-37 from 4 overs, while Ryan John picked up 2-16 from 4.
Alick Athanaze was unbeaten on 91 (Photo credit: CWI)
The Rainforest Rangers will again be in action today as they look for redemption against the Trinidad and Tobago Legions in a match that starts from 19:00hrs.
