GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Captain Kraigg Brathwaite produced a brilliant all-round performance to propel Barbados to their second straight win in the WICB Regional Under-19 One-Day Championship yesterday. The right-handed opener cracked 77 – his second straight half-century – to push Barbados up to 251 for seven off their 50 overs, after being sent in by the Windward Islands at the Guyana National Stadium.
He then returned with his probing off-spin to snare four for 33 as the Windwards were restricted to 188 for seven.
The only Test player in the tournament, Brathwaite stamped his authority on the encounter from early with successive partnerships for the first and second wickets.
He posted 40 with fellow opener Shane Parris who made 19 before driving fast bowler Bronte Bess to Terron Simon at mid-off in the eighth over.
Brathwaite and Shai Hope then buckled down in a stand of 107 for the second wicket, to virtually bat the Windwards out of the game.
While Brathwaite faced 109 balls and counted four fours and one six, Hope cracked four boundaries off 89 balls.
Captain and left-arm spinner Kavem Hodge (2-61) broke the stand when he had Brathwaite caught and bowled in the 36th over.
Hope followed 16 balls later, caught at cover off Hodge but Kyle Mayers and Neil Browne stroked cameos to keep Barbados on top.
The left-handed Mayers carved out 41 from 25 balls with three fours and two sixes while Browne hit 28 from 22 balls with three fours.
In response, the Windwards suffered a huge setback when they lost Hodge (3) in the second over, caught at the wicket off left-arm pacer Ravendra Persaud.
Opener Jerlani Robinson (36) and Keon George (27) then repaired the innings with a 50-run stand for the second innings before Brathwaite trapped Robinson lbw in the 13th over.
Left-arm spinner Chad Williams (2-32) removed George and Dwight Thomas (8) in the space of three balls to leave the Windwards on 81 for four in the 22nd over.
Sunil Ambris, who top-scored with 37, and Jamaal James (22) added 56 for the fifth wicket to patch up the innings.
However, once Brathwaite bowled James in the 35th over, the Windwards resistance folded meekly.