BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – An unbroken, second-wicket stand of 74 between their captain Kirk Edwards and Kevin Stoute followed another ruthless performance in the field to catapult Barbados to an emphatic nine-wicket victory over the Combined Campuses & Colleges in the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament yesterday.
Before a near capacity crowd, Stoute finished on 36 not out and Edwards ended on 31 not out and formalised another clinical demolition, as the Barbadians successfully chased 77 for their fourth straight victory in the tournament in the very last group match at Kensington Oval.
The result meant that Barbados topped Group-B with a maximum 16 points and will face bitter arch-rivals Trinidad & Tobago in the second semi-final today at the same venue, an hour after Windward Islands, the unbeaten side from Group-A, meet Jamaica in the first semi-final.
A fired-up Fidel Edwards put the CCC batting under early pressure, after they chose to bat, and the composite side was dismissed for a modest 76 in their 20 overs.
Edwards grabbed two wickets for 18 runs from his allotted four overs to earn the Man-of-the-Match award and was well supported in the field, highlighted by a superb effort from rookie wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich with two catches and a hand in all four run outs in the CCC innings.
It was the fourth straight match that Barbados demolished their opposition for less than 100 and sets up an intriguing battle with the Red Fury before what is expected to be another bumper crowd on the day the island celebrates the life and the achievements of the Father of Independence, national hero and the late prime minister, Errol Barrow.
