Champs Barbados win at last

KINGSTOWN: Title-holders Barbados finally registered a win yesterday in defence of their Carib Beer Series regioanl cricket titles when they comprehensively defeated the Windward Islands by eight wickets just after tea to snap a four-match losing streak. The winning runs came by way of a massive six by Man-of-the-Match Dwayne Smith against off-spinner Shane Shillingford at 3.09 local time on the third day of the four-day sixth round encounter at Arnos Vale. 

Smith, who smashed a quick-fire century in the first innings, was unbeaten on 33 off only 22 balls, in a knock that was adorned with three sixes and two fours. Windwards captain Rawl Lewis took both wickets to finish with two for 15 off four overs.  The defending champions, pinned to the bottom of the standings prior to this match with four points, are still last but with 16 points. Set 69 for victory after dismissing the Windwards for 323 midway the post-lunch session, the visitors lost Dale Richards (21) leg before wicket to leg-spinner Lewis with the score on 36.  Restarting from 53 for one after the tea-break, Barbados lost ex-Test opener Sherwin Campbell, dismissed LBW —  to a ball that kept a little low —  without adding to his tea time score of 19 when the score was 59. 

Smith, who came to the wicket with intentions of finishing the match in quick time, struck Shillingford on to the roof of the Mike Findlay Pavilion, then swept him over the square- leg boundary, before hoisting him out of the ground to finish the match. Earlier the Windwards, resuming on 201 for four —  still 54 runs in arrears —  had batted confidently until 45 minutes before the luncheon interval.  It was then that left-arm seamer Pedro Collins with the second new ball, swung the match towards a hasty Barbados win. 

Collins ripped the heart out of the Windwards middle-order as he removed Junior Murray (55), Liam Sebastien (0) and Rawl Lewis (2) in the space of two overs, as they slipped from 265 for four to 276 for eight. He finished with four for 51 off 17 overs and Hinds, three for 35 off 15.3 overs, while Smith’s medium pace earned him two for 74 off 23 overs. In Round seven this coming weekend, the Windwards travel to Trinidad and Tobago, while Barbados are away to the Leewards in St Kitts.