Barbados outplay Windwards

DEMERARA: Miserly Barbados bowling stifled the Windward Islands yesterday, enabling their batsmen to successfully chase down a modest total and formalise a straightforward, five wicket victory at Uitvlugt. After losing the toss and being asked to bowl first, the Barbadians restricted the Windward Islands to 127 all out in 47.3 overs.  Needing to achieve the target in less than 40 overs to claim the bonus point available, Barbados stuttered their way before completing a clear win at 129 for five in 37.1 overs.

The victory, which pushed Barbados to the top of the table on ten points, was their second in a row after they lost their opening match to Trinidad and Tobago last Saturday. Success for the Windward Islands was limited to getting it right with the toss as everything went horribly wrong thereafter. West Indies left arm seamer Pedro Collins, who came in for the rested Corey Collymore, was the chief tormenter in the Windward Islands’ despair as he bowled immaculately to finish with three for 20 off his ten overs. Left arm spinner Sulieman Benn kept the choke on the Windwards, grabbing three for 29 while fellow left armer Ryan Hinds took two for 20. Off spinner Ryan Hurley, though without a wicket, strangled the batsmen with a ten-over spell that contained four maidens and cost a mere ten runs.

The Windward Islands, who beat Jamaica in their opening match on Saturday, fared poorly against the Barbados attack and found themselves quickly reduced to 22 for three. West Indies opener Devon Smith and Liam Sebastien, combined to carefully steer Windwards out of the mire, adding 39 for the fourth wicket. Smith top-scored with 64 from 124 balls, striking four boundaries, while Sebastien was more sedate and supportive in his ten but, the last five wickets clattered for 63 runs. Barbados did not have the best of starts either, as the usually prolific 19-year-old opener, Martin Nurse fell cheaply for four with the score on ten, giving the Windward Islands hope of an upset. But the aggressive West Indies middle order batsman Dwayne Smith and the veteran Sherwin Campbell snatched the advantage back with a second wicket stand of 39.