GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Barbados soared to the top of the WICB Regional Under-19 One-Day Championship when they easily beat Leeward Islands by five wickets in the third round of the WICB Regional Under-19 One-Day Championship, yesterday. Set 167 for victory at Everest, Barbados were propelled by an unbeaten 63 from Anthony Alleyne as they reached 170 for five off 41.2 overs.
The win was Barbados’ third and it carried them to 15.9 points, leaving them on course for the title as the only unbeaten side in the tournament.
Winning the toss and opting to bowl, Barbados limited the Leewards to 166 all out off 35.3 overs with medium pacer Kyle Mayers grabbing three for 18 and off-spinner Chaim Holder claiming three for 50.
Opener Shaquille Martina led the way with an enterprising 65 from 71 balls, counting two fours and three sixes in his knock.
He found no support at the top of the order, however, and it was left to Nino Henry to blast 40 from 24 balls with three fours and three sixes.
The Windwards made a terrible start when Larry Audain was run-out without scoring in the third over but Martina and Duan Webbe (14) added 58 for the second wicket to stabilise the innings.
Webbe’s dismissal, leg-before-wicket to captain and off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite (2-17), triggered a collapse that saw five wickets tumble for 58 runs, as the Windwards tottered at 116 for six in the 25th over.
Henry and Tristan Hanley propped up the innings briefly with a 36-run, seventh-wicket stand before Mayers accounted for both to bring the innings to a swift end.
Barbados got a solid start from Brathwaite (31) and Shane Parris (32) as the pair added 57 to put them in control early.
The right-handed Brathwaite faced 58 balls and hit one four while Parris was more attacking, lashing three fours and two sixes off 26 balls.
Parris fell to a catch in the deep off left-arm spinner Daniel Doram (2-25) in the 14th over and Shai Hope perished cheaply for eight 10 runs later, but Alleyne strode to the wicket to dominate the Leewards attack.
The left-handed Alleyne stroked 10 fours and a six off just 72 balls and added another 40 for the third wicket with Brathwaite, as Barbados marched towards victory.
They lost wickets cheaply after Brathwaite’s departure but Alleyne kept his head to anchor a 41-run, fifth-wicket stand with Mayers (17) and ensure there were no further hiccups.