BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Shamar Springer starred with both bat and ball to help Barbados Pride to their first victory of this year’s Regional Super50, as they overcame Cricket USA by three wickets in a tense finish at Kensington Oval on Friday night.

Chasing 197 for victory after USA had made 196 for nine in their allotted 50 overs, Springer’s responsible, unbeaten knock of 29, guided the home side to 200 for seven with eight overs to spare.

With Pride precariously perched at 157 for six,  Springer and Dominic Drakes shared a seventh-wicket partnership of 31 to ease the nerves of the small number of spectators at the ground.

Drakes was unlucky to have been given out caught behind off the bowling of Elmore Hutchinson for 15, after the ball appeared to have brushed his thigh pad on the way through to the keeper, with nine more runs needed.

Shamar Springer’s unbeaten knock of 29 guided Pride to safety over Cricket USA

However, Springer smashed two boundaries to put the contest to bed and give Pride their first win after suffering two successive defeats.

Earlier, none of Pride’s top order batsman was able to press on after getting starts.

Justin Greaves (35), captain Shamarh Brooks (34) and Kevin Stoute (24) all got going before giving their wickets away.

Steven Taylor and Usman Ashraf both picked up two wickets for the USA.

Springer’s exploits with the ball had helped Pride limit USA to 196 after they seemed to be coasting at 98 for one at one stage.

He was responsible for breaking up a 96-run partnership for the second wicket between Taylor and Alex Amsterdam, just as they were looking to accelerate.

Springer first trapped Amsterdam leg-before-wicket for 32, before claiming the important wicket of Taylor, who was caught by substitute fielder Keon Harding for 64.

He faced 88 balls and seven boundaries and one six during his innings.

Springer then returned to dismiss the dangerous Elmore Hutchinson for 36, after he had threatened to wrest the initiative away from Pride.

He finished with three for 22 from his ten overs, while Miguel Cummins took two wickets for 18 runs in seven stingy overs.