Defending champs rebound, Windwards, Jamaica win

SCARBOROUGH, Tobago – Their bowlers, led by Donte Niles and Jarion Hoyte, set things up before their batting, anchored by Thaddaeus Chase and Shian Brathwaite, helped defending champions Barbados rebound from defeat with a crushing, nine-wicket victory over Leeward Islands in the Regional Under-17 Tournament here yesterday in round two matches.But the batting of Kimani Melius followed by the bowling of Lee Louisy and Narun Singh helped Windward Islands install themselves as one of the front-runners for the title with another resounding victory by 103 runs over Guyana at Louis D’Or.
At the same time, last-man-in Sanjay Williams kept his nerve to secure a one-wicket victory for Jamaica over hosts Trinidad & Tobago at Shaw Park in the Tobago capital which also fortified their position in the top echelons of the tournament table.
The players take a break from play today before the action resumes tomorrow, when Jamaica face Leewards at Louis D’Or, Windwards tackle T&T at Canaan and Barbados meet Guyana at Shaw Park.
At Canaan: Off-spinner Niles was the most successful Barbados bowler with 4-24 from six overs and medium-fast bowler Hoyte supported with 3-10 from 7.4 overs, as the Leewards, sent in to bat, were bowled out 93 in 31.4 overs.
Dimari Prince led the way with 22 and Jerrilous Louis made 20, but the Leewards never fully recovered, after they lost their openers Joshua Grant and Michael Lewis cheaply to Hoyte inside the first three overs of the innings.
The Barbadians too, suffered an early setback, when Zawandi Whyte bowled opener Nico Reifer for a seven-ball duck in the fourth over.
But Chase, whose unbeaten 52 from 46 balls included seven fours and three sixes, came to the crease and propelled Barbados to their target alongside Brathwaite, who scored 35 not out.
The two shared 81 – unbroken – for the second wicket taking the Barbadians over the finish line about 10 minutes before the scheduled interval between innings.
At Shaw Park: Williams gave Jamaica their second straight victory, when he thrashed the winning runs off the only delivery he faced – from Quammie Mohammed – to take his side past a victory target of 148 with 110 balls remaining in a tense finish.
Things had looked cocksure for the Jamaicans, as they reached 116 for four after 23 overs, but T&T captain Kirstan Kallicharran, bowling leg-spin, snared the scalps of Raewin Senior and Javeur Royal with the first and last deliveries of the next over to trigger panic in the visitors’ batting.
Shalom Parnell and Rasnyni Roye carried Jamaica to within three runs of victory before they were two of three wickets which fell to leave their side 145 for nine before Williams spared them heartache.
Kallicharran was the pick of the T&T bowlers with 4-49 from 10 overs and Siba Batoosingh took 2-29 from five overs.
Earlier, opener Cephas Cooper gathered a resolute 65 from 130 balls, but failed to ignite T&T’s batting and they were bowled out for 147 in 48.4 overs, after they were put in to bat.
Cooper struck half-dozen fours and one six, and shared 51 for the third wicket with Kallicharran, after the hosts lost their openers cheaply inside the first four overs and were wobbling on five runs for two wickets.
Kallicharran scored 31, but his dismissal in the 15th over sparked instability in the rest of the T&T batting and they lost their last eight wickets for 81 runs.
At Louis D’Or: Louisy grabbed 4-26 from 7.1 overs and fellow spinner Singh snared 3-21 from seven overs, as Guyana were bowled out for 134 in 38.1 overs to give the Windwards their second straight victory.
Joshua Persaud led the way for the Guyanese with 32 and his captain Rolando Alimohamed added 20 which no other batsman reached, as the batting crumbled in the chase for 238.
Melius had gathered 76 from 122 balls to prop up the Windwards batting and lead them to 237 for eight from their allocation of 50 overs, after they were put in to bat.
Melius smashed five fours and three sixes, giving the Windwards a solid base of 84 for the first wicket with fellow opener Johann Jeremiah and set the tone for the rest of the batting.
Jeremiah made 25, Tahj Tavarnier hit 29 and Allick Athanaze got 27 to add beef to the Windwards’ total, as Bhaskar Yadram captured 3-40 from his allotted 10 overs and fellow off-spinner Richie Looknauth took 2-31 from nine overs. (WICB)

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