-Islanders in upset win
By Calvin Roberts
Controlled spin bowling from former West Indies all rounder Omari Banks guided Leeward Islands to a 62-run upset victory over Barbados in their fourth round match of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) 2008 President’s Cup limited overs competition at the Uitvlugt Community Centre ground yesterday.
Sent in after losing the toss, Leeward Islands recovered from 57-5 in the 19th over to score a challenging 172 all out from 50 overs.
In reply, Barbados were bowled out for 110 from 31.2 overs.
Openers Austin Richards (17) and Kieron Powell (23) gave their team a rousing start scoring 23 from 4.4 overs but the Leeward Islands, joint leaders with Barbados before the match, slipped to 66-6 in the 24th over.
They lost the experienced Runako Morton (07), Banks (08),Wilden Cornwall (00) and wicketkeeper/batsman Devon Thomas (09), to the combined bowling efforts of Ryan Hinds (1-14)Dwayne Smith (2-28), and Pedro Collins(1-31).
But a 43-run, seventh-wicket partnership between Gavin Tonge (26) and Orlando Peters (09) put valuable runs on the tins.
Tonge struck leg spinner Nikolai Charles twice over backward square leg for sixes before he was bowled by the same bowler.
Peters did not last long either, as he too was bowled by Charles and at that point the Barbadians, who were being led Corey Collymore in the absence of skipper Jason Haynes (out with an injured left hand), must have thought of an early finish.
But Chad Hampson (24) and Justin Athanaze (30*) had other ideas and posted 54 runs for the ninth wicket from 13.5 overs, with both batsmen hitting bowlers Charles and Tino Best (1-33) back over their heads for sixes.
Hampson was run out off the first delivery of the final over whilst Anthony Martin (01) offered Collymore (1-35) a return catch off the final delivery of the innings.
The Leeward Islands lower order had effected the recovery with 106 runs coming from 26.5 overs.
When Barbados began their reply, they lost Browne (02) in the second over via the run out route, followed by the quick dismissals of Hinds (08), Dale Richards (07) and Jonathan Carter (00) to be shakily placed on 19-4 in the seventh over.
Dwayne Smith, who top scored with 32 and Kenroy Williams (07) added 30 for the fifth wicket, with Williams driving Tonge all along the ground for four, followed by a slog sweep for six over midwicket off Banks.
Tonge was at the other end of the ground, creating problems for the batsmen and even though Smith cut a short delivery from him through point, he continued to soldier on for his team, offering tremendous support to Banks, even though he went wicket-less during his seven-over spell.
Smith who lost Williams, who was bowled by Banks with a delivery which pitched outside off stump and spun all the way back, responded by hitting Banks for two fours and a six off successive delivers while Alcindo Holder (15) also chipped in with a four to push the score to 70-5.
Banks returned to have Smith caught low down to his right by Martin at first slip to leave Barbados shakily placed on 78-6 which soon became 102-8, following the demise of Holder and Best (12).
And when Collins (03) was caught by Banks at leg slip off Athanaze (2-6), followed by Collymore being bowled by Martin (2-12) it was all over bar the shouting.
Banks, later named Man of the Match by adjudicator and vice president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Alvin Johnson, received worthy support in the bowling department from Athanaze (2-6) and Martin (2-12).
In an invited comment, assistant coach of the Barbados team Emerson Trotman told Stabroek Sport that complacency in the field followed by irresponsible batting from his batsmen cost his team the game.
“We became complacent whilst they were batting, and permitted them to score in excess of 50 runs than they should have on such a wicket. When we batted, our batsmen just got back in their crease and played around the spinners, instead of playing straight.”
The 54-years-old Trotman, who played 76 first class games for Barbados and scored 4,495 runs in his day, added: “We also failed to display any discipline and determination whilst batting, which would have put our batsmen in the wrong frame of mind. But to sum it all up, we played poor cricket, whilst they played the better game and duly deserved the win.”
His opposite counterpart John Archibald complimented his team for pulling off the win while at the same time he bemoaned the display of his front line batsmen.
“We did not score enough runs when we batted. Our frontline batsmen did not put their head to the task, whilst at the same time work towards our game plan which was to score over 240 runs, whilst batting first.”
Archibald added:“After we realized we were way off our original target, we set ourselves a revised one of 175 or thereabout which we told ourselves would be a Herculean task for them on such a wicket, even though they have a powerful batting lineup. Fortunately for us and unfortunately for them, we came out on top.”
