| Scorecard: | Argentina v Bahamas |
| Event: | ICC World Cricket League Americas Region Division Two 2006 |
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.
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 Ekanayakes, 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.