Guyana’s batting falters in Rising Stars Championship opener

Guyana’s campaign in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Men’s Under-19 50-Over Championship got off to a disappointing start after they suffered a 24-run defeat to Trinidad and Tobago in the opening round yesterday at the Liberta Sports Club in Antigua and Barbuda.
After winning the toss, Guyana captain Parmeshwar Ram opted to field first, a decision that initially paid dividends as the bowlers combined to dismiss Trinidad and Tobago for 167 in 40.5 overs.
Leading the charge was off-spinner Joshua Budhram, who produced a devastating spell to finish with outstanding figures of 4-9 from 3.5 overs. He received excellent support from Dhanesh Persaud, Romario Ramdeholl, and Micah Amsterdam, who each claimed two wickets to keep the Trinidadian batsmen under constant pressure.

Despite the regular breakthroughs, Trinidad and Tobago found resistance through Christian Lall, who top-scored with a composed 53 off 70 deliveries, striking five boundaries. Tariq Richards contributed 31, while Christiano Ramanan added 33, but neither batsman was able to convert their starts into substantial innings as Guyana’s disciplined bowling attack wrapped up the innings.
Chasing a modest target of 168, Guyana’s reply got off to the worst possible start as both openers were dismissed early, leaving the score at 10-2.
Middle-order batsmen Yannick Newton and Shamar Apple attempted to revive the chase with valuable contributions of 23 and 28, respectively, injecting some momentum into the innings. However, wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals, preventing Guyana from establishing the partnerships needed to overhaul the target.
Vice-captain Romario Ramdehol fought a lone battle, compiling a patient unbeaten 41 from 82 balls, but found little support from the other end as Guyana was eventually dismissed for 143 in 34.3 overs, falling 24 runs short.
Trinidad and Tobago’s bowling attack shared the spoils, with Daniel Holder, Amrit Pittiman, and Daron Dhanraj each claiming three wickets to seal the victory.
Despite the loss, Guyana will take encouragement from the impressive bowling display, particularly Budhram’s match-best spell, as they look to rebound in their second Group match.
Guyana will next face Jamaica on July 13 as they seek their first victory of the tournament.