-Jamaicans whip Barbados to secure U19 double
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Irrepressible Jamaica marched to the regional youth double yesterday when they thumped Barbados by four wickets in their final round match to land the TCL Group West Indies One-Day Under-19 Trophy.
On the back of a solid performance from man-of-the-match John Campbell at Sabina Park, Jamaica bowled out the Barbadians for 163 off 50 overs and then replied with 167 for six off 46.5 overs.
The result was hardly in doubt although the Jamaicans lost a flurry of late afternoon wickets before achieving victory, adding the limited overs crown to the three-day title they won last week.
The result allowed the Jamaicans to end the one-day series with an unblemished 5-0 record and maximum 20 points, four clear of dethroned champions Trinidad and Tobago (16) with Barbados (12) third.
Set 164 to win, Jamaica were given a sound opening stand of 84 by Brian Clark (32) and the in-form left-handed Campbell, who got 47.
Campbell, who continues to impress, was the first to go when he was unfortunately run out in a mix-up with Clark.
His innings contained two fours and two sixes off 62 balls.
Clark was next to go — also run out — and his knock included two fours off 81 deliveries.
After both batsmen were dismissed, the home team plunged from 95 for two to 119 for five in the 38th over.
However captain Paul Palmer rallied his side with 22 before he was the sixth batsman to be dismissed in the 42nd over.
Wicket-keeper/batsman Kemar Marshall (18 not out) and all-rounder Jermaine Blackwood (21 not out) then formalised the result for Jamaica as they linked up in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 21.
When Blackwood scored the winning runs, a four off the left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, the exuberant home crowd ran onto the field to congratulate the new double champions.
Blackwood’s innings lasted 18 balls with two fours and Marshall smashed one four and a six in his knock.
Earlier, Barbados suffered a dramatic batting collapse and gave the rampant Jamaicans an easy target.
After being sent in to bat, the Barbadians slipped from the comfort of being 102 for two and lost their last eight wickets for just 61 runs, the innings folding off the last ball of their allotted 50 overs.
They were given a promising start – a 49-run opening stand – by Anthony Alleyne and Kraigg Brathwaite.
Brathwaite was first to go when he attempted to sweep shot against the off-spinner Jermaine Blackwood and was stumped by Marshall for 14.
The left-handed Raymond Reifer then joined Alleyne, who was beginning to flourish having struck a fierce straight six off fast bowler Jermaine Cole.
The pair added a further 27 runs for the second wicket before Reifer went — caught by Ramon Senior at backward square off left-arm spinner Patrick Harty for 10.
Alleyne continued to play his natural game, bringing up his fifty off 79 deliveries with three fours and one six.
Barbados suffered another setback when Kyle Mayers, attempting a big hit against Harty, was caught at long-on by Courtney Allen for 15 at 102 for three.
Alleyne, who played splendidly, was also a victim of Harty’s clever spin bowling and was caught by Campbell on the long-off boundary for a well played 63.
His innings included three fours and one six off 107 deliveries.
After Alleyne’s dismissal, the Barbados innings declined sharply and only Dario Cummins, batting at No.8, offered any serious resistance in the middle-order with his knock of 22.
The Barbadians were tormented by the Jamaican slow bowlers and Harty led the way with three for 23 off 10 overs.
Leg-spinner Akeem Dewar (2-17) and the off-spinners Campbell (2-19) and Senior (2-24) shared six wickets to bolster the Jamaican attack that set up their ninth consecutive win – overall with the three-day matches — in the series.
