… T&T take on Jamaica in first Super50 semi tomorrow
… Guyana face Barbados on Thursday in second semi
THANKS to a destructive spell of off-spin bowling from Man-of-the-Match Ashley Nurse, who took tournament-best figures of 6 for 29, Barbados defeated the Leeward Islands by four wickets at the Queen’s Park Oval yesterday, to earn a place in the semifinal of the West Indies Cricket Board NAGICO Super50 tournament.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Leeward Islands, who were steamrolled by Combined Campuses and Colleges and hosts Trinidad and Tobago in their first two matches, were bowled out for 103 off 39.4 overs, as Nurse claimed 6 for 29 and Sulieman Benn 2 for 15.
Only skipper Kieron Powell 34 (65 balls, 3×4), Devon Thomas 17, Montcin Hodge 14 and Jahmar Hamilton 10, reached double figures for the Leeward Islands, before Barbados romped to 104 for 6 from 34.5 overs, after being 34 for the loss of Dwayne Smith’s wicket at the break, with Kraigg Brathwaite hitting an unbeaten 29 (98 balls, 1×4).
Earlier, Powell and Hodge gave their team a start of 46 runs from 16.5 overs, taking a cautious approach to the bowling of Fidel Edwards and Jason Holder, with the first boundary coming in the fifth over, when Hodge steered Holder through the slips cordon.
Powell also got a four off Holder in the ninth over, before he punched Carlos Brathwaite off the back foot through point for four, following which he lost Hodge who was caught by Nurse at short mid-off, as he looked to drive Smith on the up through that area.
The Leewards posted their 50 from 17.1 overs, when Powell drove a loose delivery from Brathwaite for four, but lost their skipper five overs later, when he was lbw to Nurse at 59 for 2.
From there onwards, it was a steady procession of the Leeward Islands batsmen to and from the pavilion as Nurse, who bowled in tandem with Benn, tore into their batting attack at will, ensuring their demise from 59 for 1 in the 22nd over to 103 all out 17.5 overs later.
Sylvester Joseph (0) was run-out off his second delivery by a direct throw from Holder, when he attempted to take a cheeky single to mid-off, Mali Richards (7) was well caught by Shane Dowrich flashing at a wide delivery from Nurse.
Hamilton and Thomas restored things with their fifth-wicket partnership that garnered 18 valuable runs for their team, but after Hamilton was lbw to Nurse for 10 at 92 for 5 in the 31st over, Barbados, through Nurse and Benn wasted little time in closing off the innings.
The Leewards got to 100 for 5 after 35 overs with Thomas 17 and Hayden Walsh Jr 4, but lost Walsh without addition to his score, Thomas, Justin Athanaze (0) and Kelbert Walters (0) to be 100 for 9 after 39 overs, before Benn closed off proceedings with the wicket of Lionel Baker (2) in the next over.
Asked to bat 10 overs before the dinner break, the Barbadians lost Smith (5) bowled by Walters off the third ball of the second over and should have dismissed Rashidi Boucher in the sixth over, had Athanaze taken the catch running back from mid-on when the batsman was on 7 at 20 for 1.
The 23-year-old Boucher, who had for his partner Kraigg Brathwaite at the other end, said thanks for the offer by hitting Athanaze back over his head for six in the next over, while himself and Brathwaite ensured Barbados reach the break safely on 34 for 1, with his score being 15 and Brathwaite 10.
After the break, Barbados got to their 50 from 14 overs, when Boucher hit Walsh to the vacant long on boundary, but lost the said batsman, who was lbw to Martin for 25 (42 balls, 3×4; 1×6) at 51 for 2.
It should have been 55 for 3, but Walsh grassed a skier offered by Kraigg Brathwaite who was on 19, off Athanaze at point, but Barbados lost their centurion from the first game in Jonathan Carter (3) who was lbw to Martin, six runs later.
At the halfway stage of their reply, Barbados were 68 for 3 with Kraigg Brathwaite on a laborious 19 and his skipper Kevin Stoute 7, which progressed to 83 before Baker had a double strike, removing Stoute lbw for 13 and Dowrich caught at the wicket by Hamilton for 2, as the Leewards made it tough for their opponents.
A pair of boundaries by Carlos Brathwaite (12, 2×4) off Baker in the same over he had dismissed Dowrich, pushed Barbados to 94 for 5, before he saw his off stump being uprooted by Walters, but they sealed the win shortly after, ending on 104 for 6 with Kraigg Brathwaite unbeaten on 29 and Nurse, who scored the winning run on 3.
Martin bowled well to end with 2 for 8 and got support from Walters and Baker who got a pair of wickets each for 10 and 40 runs respectively. Barbados with the win topped the group and move on to face Guyana in their semifinal encounter on Thursday at the same venue.

SCORECARD
LEEWARD ISLAND INNINGS
M. Hodge c Nurse b Smith 14
K. Powell lbw b Nurse 34
M. Richards c wkp. Dowrich b Nurse 7
S. Joseph run-out (Holder) 0
D. Thomas lbw b Benn 17
J. Hamilton lbw b Nurse 10
H. Walsh stp wkpr Dowrich b Nurse 4
J. Athanaze b Nurse 0
L. Baker lbw b Benn 2
K. Walters c Stoute b Nurse 0
A. Martin not out 0
Extras: (w-14, b-1) 15
Total: (all out, off 39.4 overs) 103
Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-59, 3-59, 4-74, 5-92, 6-100, 7-100, 8-100, 9-101.
Bowling: Holder 5-0-13-0 (w-2), Edwards 4-0-14-0 (w-4), C Brathwaite 5-0-15-0, Smith 5-1-10-1, Stoute 2-0-6-0 (w-2), Nurse 10-2-29-6 (w-3), Benn 8.4-2-15-2 (w-1)
BARBADOS INNINGS
D. Smith b Walters 05
K Brathwaite not out 29
R. Boucher lbw b Martin 25
J. Carter lbw b Martin 03
K. Stoute lbw b Baker 13
S. Dowrich c wkp. Hamilton b Baker 02
C. Brathwaite b Walters 12
A. Nurse not out 03
Extras: (w-5, lb-7) 12
Total: (for 6 wickets, off 34.5 overs) 104
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-51, 3-61, 4-74, 5-83, 6-98.
Bowling: Baker 7.5-0-40-2 (w-3), Walters 4-1-10-2, Athanaze 10-2-17-0 (w-1), Martin 10-5-8-2, Walsh 2-0-15-0, Richards 1-0-7-0 (w-1).
Written By Calvin Roberts in Trinidad and Tobago
(Compliments of Carib Beer, Regal Stationery, Wartsilla, Romaine Car Wash and GT&T)