CRAB HILL, Barbados, CMC – Gavin Tonge topped a maiden first-class hundred from Kevin Stoute to bowl Leeward Islands to an innings and five-run victory over Barbados inside three days yesterday.
Tonge captured five wickets for 62 runs from 17 overs and Stoute scored an even 100, as Barbados, trailing by 198 runs on first innings, were dismissed for 193 in their second innings in the match at the North Stars Cultural & Social Club.
The Leewards formalised the result about half-hour before tea, when Tonito Willett had Stoute caught on the long-on boundary to end with four for 51 from 16.2 overs.
The victory was the Leewards’ third in their last four matches, and they have now moved to 59 points.
The defeat was the third straight for Barbados and leaves them stuck on 54 points.
Stoute, whose father Richard is one of Barbados’ leading entertainers, reached his hundred from 126 balls in the previous over, when he steered a ball from Tonge to square cover and scrambled a single.
“I am overwhelmed by my maiden first-class hundred,” he said. “I have been talking about it for two years now and it came true.
“I am very happy. I am overwhelmed with my own personal performance, but still disappointed with the result of the game.”
Leewards swung the match decisively in the first half-hour of the morning, when Tonge removed Kirk Edwards, Jonathan Carter, and Dwayne Smith in the space of 33 balls to leave the Barbadians 56 for five.
Tonge had Edwards caught at second slip for five, Carter caught behind for a first-ball duck, and Smith lbw for eight.
For the next two hours and a bit, Leewards were frustrated, when Stoute joined night-watchman Nikolai Charles, and they added 110 for the sixth wicket either side of lunch.
Leewards restricted the Barbadians to 138 for five at the interval, but they made the breakthrough about 45 minutes after lunch, when Charles was lbw to Willett for 20.
After this, the Leewards had little trouble running through the rest of the Barbados batting which saw the last five wickets fell for 27 runs from 68 balls.
In the next round of matches, Leewards face Combined Campuses & Colleges at Grove Park in Nevis starting on Friday, and Barbados have drawn bye.