Bdos romp into Carib Beer Challenge final

BRIDGETOWN: Vasbert Drakes showed his vast experience with both ball and bat to spur Barbados to a nine-wicket win over Trinidad and Tobago on the third day of the Carib Beer International Challenge semi-final at Kensington Oval yesterday.

Barbados won the match by nine wickets after they were set a modest 27 for victory by Trinidad and Tobago who were bowled out for 104 in their second innings. Earlier Barbados carried their first innings from the overnight 288 for seven wickets to 366 all out. The win paced them in this weekend’s Carib Beer International Challenge final against either Jamaica or Guyana. The 33-year-old Drakes, who made a return to international cricket last year after a self-imposed absence by playing professionally, mainly in South Africa scored 41 and then returned to grabbed six for 31 as Trinidad and Tobago were fired out in 36.4 overs in their second innings, having faced a 78-run deficit on first innings.

Barbados easily reached the victory target in 8.4 overs, to sustain their very impressive winning record this season, with all their victims including five in the Carib Cup — which they beat with a match to spare — with a day to spare. Floyd Reifer (13 not out) hit the winning runs, lifting off-spinner Rodney Sooklal for a tremendous six over long-off, the ball sailing over the Peter Short Media Centre and landing in a guard hut at an adjoining business compound. Captain Daren Ganga was again Trinidad & Tobago’s topscorer with 40 in 169 minutes to follow up his first innings 95, before he was last out, guiding medium-pacer Dwayne Smith to second slip after going to the crease at number three.

Fast bowler Tino Best, who grabbed the most wickets (35) in the Carib Beer Cup, picked up three for 29 including the prize scalp of just appointed West Indies captain Brian Lara without scoring. It was the 19th time Barbados had beaten Trinidad and Tobago in 21 first-class matches at Kensington Oval since the first sponsorship in 1966. Trinidad and Tobago have won once — in 1995 — with the other game a high-scoring draw in 1979. Trinidad and Tobago again lost an early wicket, as left-hander Imran Jan drove a return catch to Drakes before he had scored off the last ball of the second over. His opening partner Andy Jackson, who seemed in a hurry, managed three boundaries before driving at his 16th ball, which took an edge off Drakes for a straightforward catch to wicket-keeper Courtney Browne.