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Argentina win promotion
ICC Americas Media Release
The Argentines, so often in the past reliant in the past on their flamboyant batting to set up victories, in this tournament leaned on a clinically tidy bowling and fielding strategy to restrict opposition totals, and this final match was no different. After being put in to bat, the Bahamas batting struggled from the outset, and it was really only through a doggedly determined innings of 43 (84 balls, 4 fours) from Narendra Ekanayake, and cameos from captain Howard Roye (23) and Garcha Blair (21), that allowed them to reach 154 all out in 48 overs. The seam trio of Gary Savage (2 for 31), Steven Nino (2 for 15 in 10 uninterrupted overs) and Diego Lord (3 for 41) did the initial damage, reducing the Bahamas to 31 for 4, and then 74 for 6, with still 27 overs to go. To the Bahamas, and Ekanayake's, credit they batted another 21 overs to give themselves some chance of testing the Argentine batting, although local skipper, Billy MacDermott, with 3 for 28, made sure there was no greater middle and lower order resistance. A fiery opening spell from left-arm paceman Garcha Blair severely tested the Argentina top-order, and did claim the wicket of Charles Gibson with the score on 22. But Gaston Arizaga with 37 (91 balls, 5 fours) and man of the match Gary Savage with 35 (67 balls) weathered the early Bahamian attack and any batting nerves, and virtually took the game beyond the reach of the Bahamas with a fine second wicket partnership of 73 runs. There was a brief fightback from the Bahamas, claiming three wickets to reduce Argentina to 125 for 4, with left-arm spinner Dwight Weakley taking 2 for 26. But all the while the experienced Donny Forrester eased the bowling around the field to make sure there was to be no late drama. Forrester, not out on 32 (59 balls, 2 fours) and Alejandro Ferguson saw Argentina home in the 45th over at 155 for 4, for a fine 6 wicket victory, the Division 2 Championship, and promotion to Division 1 later this year. In Division 1, Argentina will face Canada, Bermuda, the United States and the Cayman Islands, in Toronto, Canada. Not only will this event determine the champion cricket nation of the Americas, but with Canada, Bermuda and the USA already having secured their places in next years ICC World Cricket League, there be an interesting contest within the contest to see who of the Cayman Islands or Argentina will claim the one remaining Americas qualifying spot.
With their places in the next Division 2 tournament already secured, and Belize destined to start in Division 3 in 2008, for Panama and Suriname it was a straight shoot-out for third place at Corimayo. Indeed, they produced a thrilling tussle, with Panama only just emerging victorious by 4 runs at the end of a dramatic day. Put in to bat, Panama started strongly, led from the front by captain Soyeb Chohan (48) and Alkesh Patel (26), and together they put on 64 for the first wicket. Again, however, as had happened in previous games during the week, the middle-order could not sustain the momentum, and Suriname claimed all ten Panamanian wickets for 97 runs, as Panama were eventually all out for 161 in 35,3 overs. Only Zahir Motala (24) added any significant total to the overall score. For Suriname, always keen and exuberant in the field, veteran spinner Surujpaul Mangal (3 for 10), teenage allrounder Arun Gokoel (3 for 39) and Sanjay Oemraw (2 for 34) did the damage with the ball. In reply though, Suriname came up against a rampant pace onslaught from man of the match Irfan Tarajiya, whose extraordinary performance of 6 for 40 literally took the heart out of Suriname's challenge. The only real resistance came from allrounder Shazam Ramjohn (27) as all the batsmen struggled. Still, the Surinamese kept chipping away at the target, and somehow reached 100 for 6 in the 23rd over, still some way to 162, but with overs to spare. Two determined partnerships, first of 24 for the 7th wicket between Hardat and Oemraw, and then 22 for the 8th wicket between Oemraw and Mangal, left Suriname at 146. But Tarajiya had the final say, as two wickets in his tenth and final over, and Suriname were 146 for 9, still 16 runs short. The never-say-die Manhal, along with last man Mohamed Nasrullah eked out another tense 11 runs, but only a boundary away from the target, Motala got through Mangal's defence, and Panama were winners by 4 runs. Final Standings:
Individual Awards:
© CricketEurope 2009
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Argentina claimed the ICC Americas WCL Division 2 Championship with a polished 6 wicket victory over the Bahamas at the Hurlingham Club in Buenos Aires, and in doing so, gained passage to the Division 1 tournament, due to be played in Canada in August.