Jamaica eye title after fourth victory, T&T
grab first win while Leewards rebound

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent. (CMC) – Jamaica marched to their fourth consecutive victory here Monday to put one hand on the Rising Stars Under-19 men’s title with one round to spare.
Playing at Sion Hill, the Jamaicans chased down a paltry target of 111 to beat Windward Islands by eight wickets and install themselves as heavy favourites, on the heels of triumphs over Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Leeward Islands in the previous rounds.

At Arnos Vale, beleaguered Trinidad and Tobago secured their first victory of the tournament with a 38-run victory over Guyana courtesy of Duckworth-Lewis.
And reigning champions Leeward Islands inflicted Barbados with another defeat while picking up their second in a five-wicket verdict at Park Hill.
However, Jamaica made all the headlines even though the in-form left-hander Jordan Johnson did not feature in the fixture.

Sent in, Windwards were restricted to 110 in the 32nd over with number nine Kervin Gassie (23 not out) and captain and opener Stephan Pascal (23) the only players to pass 20.
With the innings slumping at 65 for eight due to three wickets hauls from left-arm spinner Alex Hinds (3-27) and seamer Nashane Meade (3-28), Gassie came to his side’s rescue in a 31-run, ninth wicket stand with Divonie Joseph (7), to give the total some respectability.
In reply, Jamaica slipped to 39 for two in the ninth over but Steven Wedderburn top-scored with an unbeaten 48, anchoring an unbroken third wicket stand of 73 with Brian Barnes (28 not out), to deny Windwards.

Wedderburn faced 68 balls and struck two fours and a six while Barnes lashed four fours in a 36-ball knock.
The weather, meanwhile, thwarted T&T’s pursuit of 147 but when the match was abandoned, they were well placed on 136 for four after 38 overs, and ahead of the par score.
Kyle Ramdoo struck 37 and his opening partner Justin Jagessar, 31, the pair putting on 75 for the first wicket to lay a solid foundation for the chase.

Earlier, Andrew Rambaran claimed four for 27 and fellow left-arm spinner Ronillster Perreira picked up three for eight to reduce Guyana to 146 all out in the 41st over.
Number nine Thaddeus Lovell led Guyana with a counter-attacking run-a-ball 33 with four fours and two sixes while Shamar Yearwood clobbered three sixes in 29 from 35 balls.
Leewards, too, enjoyed an uncomplicated run chase after dismissing Barbados for 168 in the 44th over, marching to their target in the 45th over thanks to Michael Greaves’s patient unbeaten 64 from 132 deliveries.

The chase was in trouble with the cheap dismissals of Michael Palmer (1) and Malique Walsh (5) but Greaves struck half-dozen fours, and found allies in Jewel Andrew (31) and Tyanick Honore (28), to see off Barbados’ challenge.
Barbados had flourished earlier through Joshua Dorne who made 68 from 115 balls with four fours at number three but he lacked support and only Nimar Bolden with 29 and Nathan Sealy (20) showed any resistance thereafter.