BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies fast bowlers, Miguel Cummins and Kemar Roach, once again combined with devastating effect, sharing eight wickets as title-holders Barbados Pride continued their effortless march through the Regional Super50 with a commanding 100-run win over Windward Islands Volcanoes here Saturday night.
The hosts were not quite at their best as they struggled to 211 for nine off their 50 overs at Kensington Oval but any hopes Volcanoes had of chasing down the small total were quickly scuppered.
Cummins claimed four for 27 while Roach picked up four for 35, the pair slicing through the Volcanoes top order to reduce the visitors innings to virtual ruins.
Only the composed Kavem Hodge with an unbeaten 36 showed any enterprise but he was one of just three batsmen to reach double figures and the only one to pass 20.
Shai Hope had earlier top-scored with a patient 53 from 89 balls as Pride found scoring difficult after opting to bat first.
Fast bowler Miguel Cummins bowled outstandingly to finish with a four-wicket haul.
Shamarh Brooks scored 32, Jonathan Carter got 28 and Roston Chase, 27, as several batsmen got starts but failed to carry on.
Volcanoes made early strikes when left-arm pacer Delorn Johnson, who finished with three for 36, removed both openers Kevin Stoute (3) and Kraigg Brathwaite (18) inside the first eight overs, to leave Pride on 23 for two.
Hope then led a revival, posting 43 for the third wicket with Carter before adding a further 63 for the fourth wicket with Chase.
The right-handed stroke-maker struck two fours and a six while Carter counted three fours in his 35-ball knock before falling lbw to off-spinner Shane Shillingford (2-28) in the 20th over.
When Chase nicked a drive at fast bowler Obed McCoy and was caught at the wicket in the 33rd over, Hope followed four overs later, lbw on the backfoot to Shillingford.
On 137 for five, Pride benefitted from a critical 41-run, sixth wicket stand between Brooks and Carlos Brathwaite (17), as they rallied in the latter overs to pass the 200-run mark.
Barbadian seamer Kyle Mayers struck key blows to finish with three for 59.
Volcanoes, in reply, never seemed up for the fight, despite the unimposing target and lost wickets steadily.
Left-hander Devon Smith’s rut continued when he cut Roach to Carter at point in the third over to fall for one with two runs on the board, and Johnson Charles followed in the fourth over for 11, lbw playing across one from Cummins at 14 for two.
Andre Fletcher (6) nicked Cummins into Sulieman Benn’s safe hands at first slip and when Tyrone Theophile played on to Roach for six in the ninth over, the Volcanoes innings lay in strife.
Former Barbados and West Indies batsman, Kirk Edwards, played a couple of lovely drives in 16 before his defence was breached by Roach and Mayers (2) failed to impress before his native crowd, caught at backward square pulling at Roach.
Hodge, struck on the helmet first ball up from Roach, settled well to construct an innings off 69 balls with five fours, but support was never forthcoming and Volcanoes slid to their second defeat in as many outings.
