da pinnacle： The statistical evidence against them is not encouraging
Haydn Gill06-Oct-2001The statistical evidence against them is not encouraging.Neither is the daunting proposition of a line-up which includes seveninternationals headed by someone the back-page headline of Thursday’sStabroek News acclaimed as Sir Carl.Neither is the expectation of a packed Bourda ground. Conservativecounts estimated that 8 000 Guyanese packed the Albion Sports Complexthree days ago when their hero was at his best. The number could beeven bigger today, based on the fact that the GUY$500 (BDS$5.55)tickets were selling well yesterday.In short, Barbados have mighty opposition when they oppose hostsGuyana in their Red Stripe Bowl contest here today. If Antigua andBarbuda were like a Common Entrance Examination on Tuesday, restassured that Guyana will be like a university thesis. Barbados gointo the match having not beaten Guyana in a regional limited-oversgame since January 9, 1991, when Malcolm Marshall’s cheap five-wickethaul set up a 26-run victory at Kensington Oval. In the interveningten years, Barbados have been winless in eight matches against Guyana,with the men from the land of many waters marching to six successivevictories between 1993 and 1997 (see accompanying box).Manager Tony Howard, however, suggested that it was misleading to saythat Barbados had not beaten Guyana at this level for some time.When last did we play them at this level? he asked. It’s a littleunfair to say that we have not beaten them for a long time at thislevel when we haven’t played them.The sides last met in 1998 when rain prevented a result in a semifinalmatch at the Kaiser Sports Club in Jamaica. I wouldn’t say that wehaven’t beat them, because they haven’t beaten us either, Howardadded.No one will dispute that Guyana will be a challenge.They are a good opposition, but like I say, I always think we are asgood as anybody else, Howard said.Captain Carl Hooper heads a Guyana unit which appears to have no areaof vulnerability.Hooper has always been a class act as a batsman and he provided ampleproof against Southern Windwards in Berbice on Wednesday when hisunbeaten 95 off 59 balls triggered a carnival-like atmosphere.Guyana are not about Hooper alone, however. The middle order alsoincludes his fellow West Indies representatives Shivnarine Chanderpauland Ramnaresh Sarwan.At the top of the order are the aggressive Andrew Gonsalves and ShellCricket Academy of St George’s University graduate SewnarineChattergoon, who marked his regional limited-overs debut with a halfcentury against the Southern Windwards.The new ball attack is likely to be in the hands of West Indies capsReon King and Colin Stuart, although there is a feeling that KevinDarlington may replace Stuart, who went for 39 from three overs onWednesday.Match DetailsGuyana v BarbadosVenue: Bourda, Georgetown.Teams:Barbados (likely) Sherwin Campbell (captain), Philo Wallace,Dale Richards, Floyd Reifer, Adrian Griffith, Ryan Hinds, CourtneyBrowne, Ian Bradshaw, Hendy Bryan, Sulieman Benn, Corey Collymore.Reserves: Kurt Wilkinson, Pedro Collins, Ryan Nurse.Guyana (from) Carl Hooper (captain), Andrew Gonsalves,Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul,Travis Dowlin, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Neil McGarrell, Vishal Nagamootoo,Colin Stuart, Reon King, Lennox Cush, Narsingh Deonarine, KevinDarlington.Umpires: Billy Doctrove (Dominica), Basil Morgan (Montserrat).Playing times: 9:30 to 1 p.m.; 1:45 p.m. to close (scheduled5:15 p.m.).