DENNERY, St Lucia, CMC – Nicholas Alexis and Keon Joseph used the casual atmosphere to get valuable batting practice, after rain forced a draw in what promised to be a thrilling climax between arch-rivals Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago in the TCL Group West Indies Under-19 Challenge yesterday.
Alexis fell for 99, and Keon Joseph stroked 63, as T&T, trailing by 35 runs on first innings, reached 175 for two in their second innings, when the third and final day came to a close in the third round match at the Dennery Playing Field.
Alexis smote eight fours and four sixes from 136 balls in three hours of batting, and Joseph struck half-dozen boundaries from 129 balls in just over 2 ¾ hours
The result meant that Barbados gained six points to move to third in the competition on 18 points – six ahead of T&T, whose three points increased their tally to 12 to leave them fifth in the six-team competition.
T&T were to resume from their overnight eight without loss, and looking to set Barbados a sporting target to give themselves an outside chance of victory.
But the weather had failed to cooperate the previous night, and in the morning, resulting in not a ball being bowled before lunch.
By the time the players took the field about 40 minutes before the scheduled tea break, there was no doubt about the outcome.
Alexis and Joseph carried T&T to 91 without loss at tea, and returned after the break to complete a 172-run opening stand.
In the final acts of the match, Joseph was stumped off Roston Chase, who bowled Alexis about 15 minutes later to bring the match to its inevitable conclusion.
SCOREBOARD
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 1st Innings 235
BARBADOS 1st Innings 270
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 2nd Innings
(overnight eight without loss)
N. Alexis b Chase 99
K. Joseph st Rampersad b Chase 63
E. Lewis not out 0
Extras (b5, lb4, w1, nb3) 13
TOTAL (2 wkts, 45.5 overs) 175
Fall of wickets: 1-172, 2-175
Bowling: Chase 10.5-4-35-2, Warrican 14-3-31-0, Wilkinson 4-0-21-0, Cummins 1-0-7-0, Greaves 6-0-17-0, Depeiza 4-0-19-0, Mayers 6-0-36-0
Result: Match drawn
Points: Barbados six, T&T zero
Umpires: E. Bellas, S. McClean
