KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Barbados defied a six-wicket haul from new West Indies fast bowling recruit Andre Russell, as they beat Jamaica by 58 runs to march into the final of the WICB One-Day Championship yesterday.
The 22-year-old snatched six for 45 in an outstanding spell but Barbados got half-centuries from Jonathan Carter (59) and Dwayne Smith (55), to climb to 249 for nine from their 50 overs after being sent in at Sabina Park.
However, captain Ryan Hinds then captured four for 19 with 9.1 overs of miserly left-arm spin, a spell that countered new West Indies vice-captain Brendan Nash’s 52 from 93 balls, and undermined Jamaica for 191 off 44.1 overs.
Barbados will now meet surprise finalists Leewards who beat the Windward Islands by four runs in the first semi-final on Thursday.
The result seemed unlikely when Barbados lost opener Dale Richards (0) and Hinds (3) with just seven runs on the board in the fourth over, as Russell accounted for both.
A repair job of 31 for the third wicket between the left-handed opener Jason Haynes (14) and Kirk Edwards (34) was interrupted when Haynes edged Russell to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh in the 10th over.
Barbados then found solace in an 82-run, fourth wicket stand between Edwards and Carter, as they rebounded in the middle overs.
Edwards struck three fours off 53 balls while Carter was forthright in his approach, cracking three fours and three sixes in an innings that required 57 balls.
However, both fell within an over of each other with eight runs added to retard Barbados’ progress.
Smith, often times chided for his indiscretion, then buckled down to anchor a 39-run stand for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper Carlo Morris (11), and eke out precious runs with the lower order.
He too struck three fours and three sixes off just 50 balls but was ninth out with Barbados still short of a decent score at 215 in the 43rd over.
Tino Best (15 not out) and Kemar Roach (13 not out) then added an unbroken 32 for the final wicket to steer Barbados to a respectable total.
Jamaica started well, with Xavier Marshall (20) and captain Chris Gayle (16) posting a lively 33 from 37 balls for the first wicket.
Gayle had cracked two fours and a six off 19 balls when he was caught behind off pacer Best, paving the way for a 32-run stand between Marshall and Danza Hyatt (14)
When Hinds prised out Hyatt in the 11th over to claim his first wicket at 65 for two, it triggered a slide which saw Jamaica lose four wickets for 25 runs to crash to 90 for five in the 23rd over.
This brought Nash and Dave Bernard (28) together in 58-run partnership for the sixth wicket that raised Jamaica’s hopes of a victory.
But pacer Javon Searles, who finished with three for 51, bowled Bernard at 148 for six, sent back the dangerous Russell for 11 before Smith accounted for Nikita Miller (3), to leave Jamaica tottering on 178 for eight.
Jamaica’s hopes rested with Nash but Searles completed a superb spell when he bowled the Australia-born left-hander, to hand the match to Barbados.
