T20 shocker

BARBADOS’ CRICKETERS would have been reduced to tears on Saturday night and the entire nation was sent into disbelief losing the Caribbean Twenty20 final to Guyana in sensational fashion.In high drama in keeping with most of the tournament, Barbados were denied the championship because of their a critical mistake at the death and breathtaking life-time performance by 19-year-old Guyanane Jonathan Foo under the lights at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.It was unimaginable to see Barbados losing when Guyana required another 26 runs from 11 balls with just the last wicket pair at the crease.Defending a relatively modest 134 for five, Barbados had done a splendid job with a disciplined effort with the ball mainly thorough rookie off-spiner Ashley Nurse’s five-wicket haul that was backed up by safe catching in the deep.It was only at the death that they buckled under the pressure in the face of Foo’s assault in which he blasted an unbeaten 42 off only 17 balls that provided Guyana with a one-wicket victory with one ball remaining. It was a triumph that earned them the title of champions, prize money of US$25 000 and a ticket to South Africa for next month’s lucrative Airtel Champoins League.Foo raised Guyana’s hopes in the 19th over with a straight six off Nurse, but Barbados should have won the match off the next ball when Foo hoisted a ball in the direction of Larry Babb at deep mid-wicket.Not only did Babb fail to hold on, but in the process, he parried the ball over the ropes to give Foo successive sixes. It was the only chance Barbados put down on the night after taking five catches in the deep, three of which were held by Jonathan Carter.It all came to the final over from by fast bowler Javon Searles from which 11 runs were required and the tension was almost unbearable.The first ball was edged to third-man for four and the second raced away behind point for another boundary to reduce the equation to three runs from four balls.The third ball went past Foo’s bat and he took a short single from the next ball leaving last man Davendra Bishoo to face for the first time with two needed from two balls.Barbados brought the field in for the left-hander who was able to seal victory on a shoddy piece of fielding from Sulieman Benn at extra-cover.In the twinkling of eye, Barbados had victory  snatched from them, players dropped to the field in a state of despondency and captain Ryan Hinds was at a loss to explain how the match was lost.“I am speechless. Having said that, I must commend my boys. We fought very well. We were the underdogs, but we showed the Caribbean we had fight and determination,” Hinds said.“We did not execute our plans in the last three overs, but you cannot take anything away from Foo.”Barbados kept Guyana under control for most of the run chase in which the 2006 Stanford 20/20 champions showed little urgency in the first ten overs from which they scored 44 for two.With wickets in hand, Guyana were still in the money, but Nurse quickly changed all of that by removing captauin Ramnaresh Sarwan for 26 with his first ball that was pulled down the throat of Carter at deep-wicket.As Guyana tried to raise the run-rate, wickets fell at an alarming rate and suddenly they slipped from 62 for two at the start of the 13th over to 85 for eight in the 16th over when another 50 runs were required from 3.3 overs.Foo, whose has made a telling contribution for Guyana at the closing stages in each of his team’s three previous matches, delivered in a big way in an innings that included three sixes and four fours.“I was backing myself. I was just focusing  on the ball. I always keep myself focussed and I wanted to do the job for my country.”Barbados, batting first after winning the toss, blazed 45 from the first five overs but went downhill for the majority of the innings and had to settle for a total which no team has been able to successfully defend.The left-handed Carter, batting at No. 3, made  an unbeaten 57 off 62 balls, but missed more than 20 balls outside off stump. (HG)