Ram, Hetmyer star as Guyana U-19s crush Leeward Islands

Guyana Under-19 produced a commanding all-round performance to secure their first victory of the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Men’s Under-19 50-Over Championship, defeating the Leeward Islands Under-19s by 121 runs.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Guyana posted a competitive 272 all out in 47.1 overs, built around impressive half-centuries from captain Parmeshwar Ram and Adrian Hetmyer.
Ram led from the front with a fluent 79 off 82 deliveries, striking 10 fours and three sixes to provide his side with a solid platform at the top of the order. Hetmyer continued his rich vein of form, following up his previous 50 with another composed innings of 76 from 90 balls, which included seven boundaries and a six before being run out.

The Guyanese innings received a late surge from Emmanuel Lewis, who made an immediate impact in his first appearance of the tournament. Batting aggressively down the order, Lewis smashed 42 from just 23 balls to push Guyana to a formidable total.
For the Leeward Islands, Matthew Miller was the standout bowler with 4-45, while Kerique Mentore supported well with 2-51.
Chasing 273 for victory, the Leeward Islands never recovered after losing wickets at regular intervals and were eventually dismissed for 151 in 37.4 overs.
Kunal Tilokani offered the strongest resistance with a brisk 37 from 37 balls, while Lawshorn Bergan remained unbeaten on 31 from 45 deliveries, but the pair found little support from the rest of the batting line-up.
Guyana’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Dhanesh Persaud producing an outstanding spell to claim 4-31. Gilbert Griffith provided excellent support with 3-29 as the Guyanese attack wrapped up the innings to complete a convincing 121-run victory.
The result gives Guyana their first win of the tournament and a timely boost ahead of their next fixture against the Windward Islands Under-19s on July 20. (Gerald Montfort)