Brian Lara - File

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC )

Ex-West Indies batting star Brian Lara hit a cameo half-century as Trinidad & Tobago scored an authoritative victory over Guyana on the final day of their first round Carib Beer Series match at the Queen's Park Oval yesterday.

The prodigious left-hander stroked an unbeaten 53 from a mere 27 balls as T&T, set 183 for victory in a minimum of 47 overs, raced to 185 for one off just 29 overs.

Lara's stroke-filled innings lasted just 43 minutes and was decorated with six fours and three sixes.

Earlier, West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan converted his overnight 31 into an unbeaten 105 to propel Guyana from their 128 for four to 249 all out.

West Indies batsman Lendl Simmons and Barath gave their side a sound start, adding 106 for the first wicket amidst two interruptions for rain at 1:30 p.m. and 2:10 p.m.

Simmons hit 62 off 73 balls with seven fours, while Barath finished unbeaten on 57, an innings that spanned 126 minutes and 78 balls and contained two fours and a six.

The partnership was broken when Simmons was trapped in front to left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul.

Barath and Lara then hastened the chase with some well calculated shots on either side of the wicket to ensure T&T's victory.

Lara, who scored 123 in T&T's first innings, was later named Man-of-the-Match by adjudicator, former T&T middle-order batsman Claude Phillip.

Off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth had earlier set up T&T victory when he took five for 52 to end with a match haul of nine for 136.

With Sarwan and Fudadin resuming as the overnight batsmen, the pair carried the score to 184 before Fudadin (18) perished to a catch at extra cover by Rayad Emrit off Jaggernauth's bowling.

The remaining Guyanese batsmen failed to offer resistance to the probing spin of the local team led by Jaggernauth and left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed.

Jaggernauth accounted for Derwin Christian (2), Esaun Crandon (13) and Zaheer Mohammed (8), while Dave Mohammed picked up the scalps of Permaul (5) and Brandon Bess (0), as the visitors were dismissed for 249 just after lunch.

In between, Sarwan brought up his seventh regional hundred and his second against T&T, his innings spanning 224 minutes, 142 balls and containing seven fours and one six.