Leewards win, Barbados eye victory against Jamaica

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC – Leeward Islands marched to their second straight win of the Regional Under-19 Championship when they brushed aside Guyana by six wickets inside two days here yesterday.

Playing in the second round game at the Arnos Vale Stadium, Leewards easily chased down the meagre 52 set for victory, with Kofi James finishing on 22 not out.

Kofi James
Kofi James
Sherfane Rutherford
Sherfane Rutherford

Resuming the day on 132 for seven in reply to Guyana’s paltry first innings of 42, the Leewards were dismissed for 153 to take a lead of 111 runs.

Left-arm spinner Kheshram Seyhodan picked up two more wickets to end with six for 32.

Batting a second time, Guyana were bowled out for 162 with Sherfane Rutherford top-scoring with 41, Bhaskar Yadram getting 37 and Malcolm Hubbard scoring 35.

They were in trouble at nine for two in the fifth over but Rutherford steadied the innings by adding 52 for the third wicket with opener Ronaldo Renee who made 20.

When the innings slipped to 107 for eight, Yadram and Hubbard put on 55 for the ninth wicket to rally the innings.

Javy Benjamin (2-25), Daniel Doram (2-27) and Kofi James (2-29) all picked up two wickets.

Leewards then quickly lost two wickets with just two runsa on the board, before slumping to 17 for three, but they recovered in time to notch victory, with James smashing a four and two sixes in his counter-attacking knock.

At Sion Hill, Barbados were eyeing victory after reducing Jamaica to one run for two wickets, in search of a victory target of 178.

Bhaskar Yadram
Bhaskar Yadram

Resuming the day on seven for two in their first innings, Jamaica folded for 125 with Jordane Hill hitting 38 and Brad Barnes getting 29. The pair propped up the innings with a third wicket stand of 74.

Left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop finished with six for 53.

Nicholas Kirton then stroked 59 as Barbados recovered from 21 for three to make 153 all out in their second innings.

Left-armer Jeavor Royal, who claimed three for 30, put Barbados in a spin early on before Kirton combined with Kilano Brathwaite (22) in a 75-run, fourth wicket stand to rescue the innings.

Kirton faced 98 deliveries and counted three fours and two sixes.

At Park Hill, Keagan Simmons stroked a half-century to help Trinidad and Tobago take a narrow first innings lead.

Replying to Windward Islands’ 204 all out, T&T ended day two on 212 for nine – a lead of of eight runs heading into the final day. Simmons hit 55 off 101 balls with six fours, in an opening stand of 87 with Dejourn Charles whose 40 came from 47 balls and included five fours and a six.

Saiba Batoosingh was unbeaten on 45 from 99 deliveries at the close, after putting on 38 for the sixth wicket with Jonathan Bootan who made 27.

Earlier, Othneil Lewis slammed a stroke-filled 82 off 53 balls with four fours and eight sixes, to pull Windwards around from their overnight 70 for four.

He put on 75 for the ninth wicket with Darron Nedd who made eight not out.