GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

GUYANA CONFIRMED them-selves as the TCL Group West Indies Under-19 champions as the Challenge Cup final finished a tame draw at the Bourda Oval yesterday.

Already with first innings points in the bag after resuming at their overnight 262 for seven, Guyana's batsmen spearheaded by Krishna Deosaran, ensured there would be no Barbados comeback as they amassed 349 all out. Deosaran converted his overnight, unbeaten 65 into 115 as he earned himself Man-of-the-Match honours.

Faced with a deficit of 136 runs, Barbados, now the losing finalists for the third successive year, finished at 170 for four when the game was called off 4.35 p.m. Roger Williams (28) and Jonathan Carter (46) fell off successive deliveries, after putting together 86 for the first wicket on a docile track in scorching heat.

Legspinner Troy Gonsalves, who finished with two for 50, had the left-handed Carter caught at cover after he spanked six fours and two sixes from 59 balls.

Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, who claimed two for 59, then removed Williams off the first ball of the next over after he had reached the boundary four times in his 68-ball innings.

Anti-climactic final

By tea, Barbados had reached 98 for two as the game, watched by a small but vocal crowd, headed for an anti-climactic final session.

After the break, Carlos Brathwaite (six) was bowled by Permaul as the spinner increased his wicket tally in the series to 31.

Kyle Hope and skipper Shamarah Brooks joined forces to see their team to 158 with enter-taining batting before Brooks, who hammered five fours in 36, lofted Gonsalves to Ryan Hercules at deep mid-on.

Renaldo Arthur, unbeaten on three, joined Kyle Hope who thumped four boundaries in his unbeaten 37 as they guided Barbados safely to the close.

Earlier, the left-handed Deosaran completed a fine century, from 238 balls in five hours, decorated with 12 fours and three sixes.

His overnight partner Maxwell Georgeson, unbeaten on 10, added only four before edging pacer Dwayne Sealy to Brooks at second slip in the day's second over.

Hercules, whose 29 contained two fours and lasted 113 minutes and 89 balls, joined Deosaran to add 72 for the ninth wicket as the usually aggressive Hercules buckled down to play a wonderful supporting role. Roach finished with three for 20 while Kevin McLean claimed two for 43.