PROVIDENCE, Guyana (CMC)

Jamaica snatched the US$8,000 first prize with a tense five-run victory over hosts Guyana with just three balls to spare in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Twenty20 Festival final on Saturday night.

Batting first in a low-scoring fixture, the Jamaicans posted 111 all out off 19 overs and restricted Guyana to 106 all out in 19.3 overs under lights at the National Stadium.

The United Chargers of the USA used a 'Super Over' to defeat Barbados in the third-place play-off.

In the title match, the Guyanese did well to restrict Chris Gayle's Jamaicans on a flat track and fast outfield.

After the usually pugnacious Gayle was bowled by Chris Barnwell for a seven-ball duck, only Danza Hyatt, with 29 from 34 balls, passed 15 as Jamaica lost wickets in flurries.

Barnwell (4-17), left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (2-17) and experienced leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo (2-20) maintained the pressure for Guyana, but the home team's batsmen suffered a similar decline in their run chase.

Guyanese side ill-prepared

Only captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, with 32 from 37 balls, Travis Dowlin (20) and Derwin Christian (15) reached double figures as Gayle finished with 2-16 from 2.3 overs of his off spin for the Jamaica victory.

Lucky to be in the final after Barbados - who beat them on Friday - allowed them to contest the final, the Guyanese side, picked a day before Friday's first match, looked ill-prepared and had to settle for the US$4,000 runner-up prize, although Barnwell copped the Man-of-the-Match trophy.

Guyana quickly slid to 25 for two when Sewnarine Chattergoon (4) was trapped leg before wicket by left-arm spinner Nikita Miller while Dowlin was run out just when he was beginning to look threatening.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul arrived to a thunderous ovation but struggled to get the ball away in the shortest version of the game and was soon caught and bowled by Gayle for five from 12 balls.

Sarwan, who got going with an exquisite cover drive boundary before cutting pacer Jerome Taylor delightfully to the point boundary, tried to hold the innings together until he lost his head and wicket when he missed a wild swipe at Taylor and was bowled at 86 for eight.

33 for two

Earlier, Esuan Crandon began the game with a maiden and Barnwell scattered Gayle's wicket while Nagamootoo had Xavier Marshall (15) leg before after missing a scoop shot to leave Jamaica on 33 for two.

The Jamaicans, who lost to Trinidad and Tobago in last year's regional Stanford Twenty20 tournament in Antigua, were soon 54 for three when Shawn Findlay (12) was bowled by Permaul.

Hyatt and Wavell Hinds tried to repair the damage but once both batsmen were removed in the space of three runs to leave the score on 81 for five, only Carlton Baugh (10) of the other batsmen reached double figures as Barnwell took three wickets in his third over and Richardson ran himself out to end the innings with six balls remaining.