ST JOHN’S ANTIGUA, AUGUST 10 2006 - Guyana, booked a ticket to the final of the million dollar Stanford 20/20 Cricket Tournament with a brilliant six-wicket win over Grenada on Thursday night.

The Guyanese have now given themselves a crack at the US$1 million top prize, as they worked hard for their victory. Backed by about 3000 fans from back home, Ramnaresh Sarwan’s side restricted the Spice Isle boys to 158 for 8 in 20 overs and then raced to 160 for four off 18.2 overs, to win with 10 balls to spare.

he star of the night was Mahendra Nagamootoo. The clever leg-spinner bowled with great control and kept his nerve under pressure to end with a fantastic five for 15 from four overs. He kept things very tight and strangled the inexperienced Grenadians.

Nagamootoo entered in the middle of the innings after Grenada had racked up 86 for the first wicket, and he immediately put a halt to the free-scoring.

His five wickets for 15 measly runs pocketed the Man-of-the-Match cheque of US$25,000. The early damaged was done by off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine, who took two wickets in one over. Those wickets were openers Clevroy Antoine, who made 30, and Andre Fletcher, who slammed 50, in an opening partnership of 86.

Asked to score at eight an over, Guyana’s experienced batsmen, laid the foundation and at the end the little known Imran Khan smashed two towering sixes in his 21 from ten balls to send the 3 000 Guyana fans into a frenzy.

With him at the end was Deonarine, who showed his maturity in 23 not out as the two shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 32. Before this opener Lennox Cush opened his shoulders to crack 49 from 42 and his massive six over extra cover earned him the Play-of the-Match award of US$10 000.

Cush added 57 for the first wicket with Travis Dowlin, as they set the tone. Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan fell for just eight, but left-hander Esuan Crandon, banged 17 from nine balls to keep his side in the hunt on another action-filled night.

Source: Stanford2020.com