Guyana whip Trinidad and Tobago in U-15 Rising Stars opener

Trinidad and Tobago had a stumbling start to their 2025 West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 Championships as they succumbed to a six-wicket loss to Guyana at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua on April 15.

Inserted to have first strike, TT were bowled out for 168 in 48.5 overs, with opener Jordan Julien top-scoring with 53 from 99 balls. After a top-order wobble, which saw them slip to 48 for three by the 15th over, a pair of telling partnerships took the Guyanese over the line as they got to 171 for four in the 42nd over.

Captain Richard Ramdehol (64 not out off 88) was a calming influence in the Guyana chase, and he shared in a 45-run partnership with opening batsman Justin Dowlin (31), before sealing the deal with an unbeaten 78-run partnership with his vice-captain Brandon Henry (39 not out off 49).

The defeat was a repeat of TT's fate from last year's under-15 clash with Guyana, who got a crushing nine-wicket win at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

In their 2025 opener, TT got a solid start as the opening pair of Julien and Davis Guerra (32 off 78) stitched together a 96-run stand in 28 overs. After Guerra was dismissed by Nathaniel Ramsammy (two for 18), TT had an almighty collapse as they lost four more wickets in a ten-over span to slip to 117 for five by the 38th over.

TT captain Kaiden Pollard and top-order batsman Zion Phillip both succumbed to the left-arm spin of Henry without troubling the scorers, while Elijah Ashton (seven) also fell cheaply. TT lost their last five wickets for 51 runs, with Sanjiv Bachu (eight) the last man to be dismissed.

Henry was the pick of the Guyanese bowlers with two for 15. It was a good allround effort from Guyana as five bowlers took two wickets each.

Dowlin and Lomar Seecharan (21 off 32) had a 31-run stand for the first wicket, before seamer Jayden Sadaphal (one for 33) got the latter's wicket. In the 15th over, the game's momentum seemed to be shifting towards TT as leg-spinner Ethan Ramcharan (two for 36) got the wickets of Arif Bacchus (two) and Shahid Ramzam (duck) to leave Guyana on 48 for three.

Ramdehol then strode to the crease with confidence and the right-hander played a good counter-attack innings which included eight boundaries. Guyana slipped to 93 for four in the 23rd over when Dowlin hammered a full-toss from Bachu straight to Samuel Stewart on the mid-wicket boundary.

Henry joined his captain in the middle and they took Guyana to the win with 49 balls to spare. Henry scored the winning runs when he stylishly whipped Sadaphal into the leg-side boundary for four.

Elsewhere, reigning champs Barbados got a thumping nine-wicket win over Jamaica.

TT's second game will be against Windward Islands at the Liberta Sports Club on April 17. Windwards defeated their rivals Leeward Islands by eight wickets in their first encounter.

Summarised Scores:

TT – 168 from 48.5 overs (Jordan Julien 53, Davis Guerra 32, Samuel Stewart 14; Brandon Henry 2/15, Nathaniel Ramsammy 2/18) vs GUYANA – 171/4 from 41.5 overs (Richard Ramdehol 64 not out, Brandon Henry 39 not out, Justin Dowlin 31; Ethan Ramcharan 2/36). Guyana won by 6 wickets.

JAMAICA – 77 from 24.5 overs (Luwain Pryce 22; Asher Branford 4/20, Joshua Thompson 3/14) vs BARBADOS – 78/1 from 18 overs (Jahidi Hinds 28 not out, Javion Batson 22). Barbados won by 9 wickets.

LEEWARD ISLANDS – 109 from 29.4 overs (Jathan Edward 23; Jeanille Williams 3/21, Jorden Charles 3/27) vs WINDWARD ISLANDS – 110/2 from 25.5 overs (Alex Armstrong 47, Derwin Lewis 25). Windwards won by 8 wickets.