SCARBOROUGH, Tobago – Windward Islands held their nerve on the final day, filled with drama and rain, and have been crowned the new Regional Under-17 champions.Their batting, led by Allick Athanaze, set things up and their bowlers formalised a crushing, 207-run victory over Leeward Islands in their final round match on Tuesday at Canaan.
The Windwards topped the standing with 24.9 points and claimed the title for the first time, after the two teams ahead of them entering the final round failed to dip over the finish line on the final day of the tournament which was affected by rain.
Jamaica, the pre-series leaders, suffered a shocking, 10-wicket defeat against last year’s champions Barbados in a low-scoring affair at Shaw Park, at the same time that Guyana upset hosts Trinidad & Tobago by seven runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method when bad light stopped play at Mount Pleasant.
T&T were second with 19.4 points, the same number as the third-placed Jamaicans, but the home team had a superior net run rate so finished in the higher position.
Guyana were fourth with 18.2, Barbados were fifth on 13.4 and Leewards ended last on 1.2.
At Canaan: Shane Roberts was the pick of the Windwards bowlers, grabbing 4-12 from seven overs, and Leewards were bundled out for 57 in 24.1 overs.
Leewards were no runs for one wicket, when rain interrupted after two deliveries and they were left to chase a revised target of 262 on resumption.
They soon sank to 24 for seven in the 11th over and there was no come-back story for the Leewards, although Tasillo Allen and Jemuel Cabey stemmed the fall of wickets with a stand of 25.
Earlier, Athanaze struck six fours and three sixes in 85 from 87 balls to be the rock upon which the Windwards built their total of 264 for nine from their allocation of 50 overs.
The Windwards’ innings appeared to be at the crossroads, when they stumbled to 89 for four in the 18th over, but a century fifth-wicket stand between Athanaze and Nick Elibox gave the innings backbone.
Elibox made 43 and put on 134 with Athanaze, whose dismissal lbw to left-arm spinner Zawandi Whyte in the 45th over saw the innings taper off towards the end.
At Mount Pleasant: There was a delayed start to the T&T chase due to the rain and when play started they needed to chase 163 off 47 overs.
They made a bright start as openers Keagan Simmons and Cephas Cooper put on 53 for the first wicket, but they were two of three wickets that fell in the space of nine balls to undermine their chase, leaving T&T 56 for three.
T&T captain Kirstan Kallicharran completed off a solid all-round performance with 25 and Siba Batoosingh led the way with 29 to get them moving in the right direction again.
But off-spinner Bhaskar Yadram grabbed 3-23 from 7.1 overs to stem the flow of runs and to keep the chase tight before the fading light ushered the players off.
Kallicharran had continued his fine form with the ball, when he collected 5-18 from his allotment of 10 overs to undermine the middle of the Guyana batting.
Opener Raymond Perez led the way for Guyana, anchoring his side through the first half of the innings with 41, but Kallicharran belatedly introduced himself into the attack and snared two quick wickets to put pressure on the visitors’ top order, leaving them 83 for four.
The Guyanese crossed the 100-run mark without further loss, but Kallicharran continued to bowl with purpose, removing Ramnarine Chatura, whose 21 thinly held the innings together.
Guyana captain Rolando Alimohamed responded to the challenge with 30 not out, but the rest of the batting let him down.
At Shaw Park: Shakib Kellman struck a boundary-studded, run-a-ball, unbeaten 60 from 51 balls and fellow opener Shian Brathwaite made 31 not out to ensure that previous champions Barbados finished the tournament on a high.
The opening pair shared 95 – unbroken – for the first wicket to take the Barbadians safely over the finish line in 18.5 overs, after rain interrupted their chase after three overs.
Earlier, Jarion Hoyte grabbed 4-17 from six overs and left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop captured 3-22 from nine overs, as Jamaica were bowled out for 93 in 29.4 overs, after they were sent in to bat.
Javeur Royal led the way for the Jamaicans with 28 but no other batsman reached 20, as Jamaica never recovered from their early slump of 19 for five inside the first 10 overs. (WICB)