PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Kraigg Brathwaite’s disciplined, unbeaten half-century helped Barbados Pride overcome a few stumbles as they beat ICC Americas by four wickets to climb back into the race for a semi-final spot in the Regional Super50 here yesterday.
In pursuit of a hardly challenging 203 for victory, Pride found themselves floundering at two wickets down and without a run on the board, four balls into their innings at Queen’s Park Oval, after fast bowler Timroy Allen removed opener Dwayne Smith and number three batsman Shai Hope without scoring.
However, Brathwaite stood firm to stroke a typical obdurate 86 not out to guide his side to victory in the 37th over. Wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich gathered a breezy 40, left-hander Jonathan Carter got 35 while Shamarh Brooks chipped in with 25.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite cuts during his 86 not out for Barbados Pride in their Regional Super50 contest against ICC Americas at Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy WICB Media)
Brathwaite faced 101 deliveries and struck nine fours, and picked up the Man-of-the-Match award for his efforts. For Pride, it was their first victory in three outings in Group A following successive defeats to Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and Jamaica Scorpions.
More importantly, the victory gave them a crucial bonus point, allowing them to narrow the gap on the second placed Jamaica Scorpions, to one.
Scorpions lie second on ten points, with Pride third on nine. Hosts and title-holders Red Force sit on top the group with 17 points.
Ask to field, Pride struggled to dispose of a feisty Americas side as Srimantha Wijeratne stroked 46 and Stephen Taylor, 41, to propel the batting effort before the innings closed in the final over.
Part-time seamer Carter was the best bowler with four for 37 while seamers Jason Holder (2-26) and Carlos Brathwaite (2-29) supported with two wickets apiece.
Holder trapped opener Ruvindu Gunasekera for 13 and Kraigg Brathwaite ran out Nitish Kumar with a direct throw from cover, to leave ICC Americas on 19 for two in the fifth over before Taylor and Wijeratne stitched up the innings in a 55-run, third wicket stand.
The left-handed Taylor was aggressive, smashing six fours and a six off 48 balls while Wijeratne was more measured in an 86-ball knock which included three fours.
Just when the stand was becoming dangerous, Taylor missed a sweep at off-spinner Ashley Nurse and was lbw at 74 for three at the end of the 16th over.
Right-hander Wijeratne then anchored a 43-run, fourth wicket stand with Alex Amsterdam to further frustrate Pride.
Amsterdam scored 21 off 33 deliveries with a boundary and was growing in confidence when Carlos Brathwaite returned in a new spell to have him caught by Kraigg Brathwaite at short cover off a slower ball.
Wijeratne eventually holed out to Roston Chase in the deep off Carter at 136 for five in the 34th over and ICC Americas continued to lose wickets steadily as momentum left the innings.
Allen gave ICC Americas the perfect start when he beat Smith’s leaden-footed drive to shatter his stumps with the second ball of the innings, and then had Test batsman Hope caught at second slip by Amsterdam driving off the back foot at one that bounced.
But Brathwaite, one of several West Indies players drafted in to the side for this game, anchored three successive, solid partnerships to deny ICC Americas.
He put on 61 for the third wicket with Carter whose 35 came from 27 balls and included four fours and a six, and followed up with a 48-run, fourth wicket stand with Brooks, whose 25 required 42 balls and included three boundaries.
Carter edged off-spinner Nitish Kumar (2-33) behind at 61 for three in the 10th over and Brooks was unperturbed until he was out softly, chipping Kumar to Wijeratne at mid-wicket at 109 for four in the 23rd over.
With the innings in need of a boost, it came in the form of Dowrich’s cameo. The right-hander punched five fours and a six off 34 balls in a 76-run, fifth wicket partnership with Brathwaite, which took the fight out of ICC Americas.
By the time Dowrich was run out by Timil Patel’s direct hit in the 35th over, Pride were within touching distance of victory.
