NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Alcindo Holder curbed his natural attacking instincts to stroke 44 not out, and steer Barbados to a tense, four-wicket victory against Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship on Tuesday.
In a low-scoring affair, Holder struck just three fours and one six in his 45-ball innings, as Barbados successfully chased a modest 113 for victory from their allocation of 20 overs in the rain-affected fourth match of the competition at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
Barbados, last year’s runners-up, were wobbling on 70 for six in the 15th over before Holder, the Man-of-the-Match, added 46 – unbroken – for the seventh wicket with Ashley Nurse, whose hook for four off a short, rising ball from Gavin Tonge formalised the result with just four balls to spare.
The Leewards’ innings followed a similar pattern, and they needed 34 from Justin Athanaze and 31 not out from Tonito Willett to reach 112 for six from their 20 overs, after they chose to bat on a typically docile pitch.
Dwayne Smith gave Barbados a rousing start with three boundaries in 13 from the first and only over delivered by Lionel Baker. He drove the first two deliveries inside-out over square cover for fours, and drove the third ball through mid-on for another four.
Things started to unravel for Barbados in the next over however, when Kirk Edwards was run out for a duck following a mix-up with Smith.
Edwards drove a delivery from leg-spinner Anthony Martin straight to short mid-on, where Chesney Hughes mis-fielded. He raced down the pitch, but Hughes quickly retrieved the ball, and the batsman, trying to regain his ground, failed to beat the fielder’s throw to the ‘keeper.
This sparked a batting collapse that saw left-hander Jonathan Carter also run out for a duck, Smith was typically bowled with a full-length delivery that moved back for 13 off Tonge, who also had left-hander Ryan Hinds, the Barbados captain, caught behind for five chasing a wide ball.
Barbados were in tatters at 23 for four in the fifth over, but Carlo Morris arrived, settled down, and got the visitors back on track.
When rain stopped play on the first of two occasions, Barbados were 51 for four in the 11th over, but the Leewards made the breakthrough, when Hughes, bowling his uncomplicated left-arm spin, held a return catch running back to mid-on to dismiss Morris for 10.
Javon Searles eased the tension with a six over long-on and a four over mid-wicket in a cameo 15 off 11 balls before he was dubiously lbw to Leewards captain Wilden Cornwall in the 15th over to leave Barbados needing 43 from 35 balls.
Much to Barbados’ relief, Holder and Nurse safely navigated their side the rest of the way.
Tonge finished with two for 20 from 3.2 overs.
Earlier, Athanaze and Willett added 61 from 49 balls for the sixth wicket to prop-up the Leewards’ batting, after the home team crashed to 44 for five in 11th over.
Athanaze spoiled Kemar Roach’s final over, which cost the West Indies fast bowler 17, and was fortunate that Nurse twice dropped him on the long-on boundary off Hinds, bowling his steady left-arm spin, before he was eventually caught at deep mid-wicket, following a 25-ball innings that contained four fours and one six.
Searles ended with two for 14 from his allotted four overs, and Hinds snared two for 18 from his four overs.
Barbados face Hampshire in their second match today at the same venue, where Leewards meet Trinidad & Tobago.
