KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Barbados beat Leeward Islands by seven wickets on Tuesday to push the TCL Group West Indies One-Day Trophy Under-19 tournament down to the wire.
Set 158 for victory after limiting the Leewards to 157 for nine from their allotted 50 overs, Barbados experienced little difficulty in cruising to their target off 38.5 overs at the Jamaica Broilers Ground.
They were led to victory by prolific opener Kraigg Brathwaite who secured his first half-century of the tournament, finishing on a compact, unbeaten 78.
Earlier, the Leewards lost quick wickets after being put in and only Shane Burton and Hayden Walsh jr with 40 apiece, showed any sign of enterprise.
With the victory, Barbados moved to 12 points along with Trinidad & Tobago, with Jamaica still out front on 16 points.
Barbados will face the unbeaten Jamaica, who are now overwhelming favourites, at Sabina Park today, in a game they will have to win convincingly in order to take the title.
Chasing a moderate total, Barbados had a shaky start when Anthony Alleyne was caught by Shane Burton at short mid-wicket off fast bowler Nelson Boland for four with the score on seven in the third over.
Brathwaite and the left-handed Raymond Reifer, who stroked 31, settled down to add 72 for the second wicket and put Barbados in sight of victory.
Both batsmen were cautious and patient, and flourished against the Leewards bowling until Reifer was lbw, pushing forward to leg-spinner Walsh after facing 62 balls and striking two fours.
Kyle Mayers, who also hammered an attractive 31, then joined Brathwaite who was content to score off the bad deliveries, and the pair added a further 70 for the third wicket.
The partnership finally ended when Mayers was caught at the wicket off Boland to end his 47-ball knock that contained one four and a six.
In the interim, Brathwaite completed his 50 off 88 deliveries with four fours and when he fittingly struck the winning run to count his fifth four, he had faced 120 balls overall.
Boland was the Leewards’ best bowler with two for 31.
The Leewards had earlier never recovered from their disastrous start when they lost their first four wickets for 24 runs with pacer, captain Jason Holder taking three for 18 in his opening spell.
They found refuge, however, in a stubborn fifth-wicket partnership of 50 between left-hander Burton, whose 40 came from 74 deliveries with six fours, and wicketkeeper/batsman Hamilton who scored 27 off 51 balls with three fours.
Walsh, batting at number seven, held the lower order together with an unbeaten 40 off 62 deliveries with four fours.
Captain Kejel Tyson was the first to go when he was bowled for one, pushing forward to fast bowler Marques Clarke with the score on one.
His fellow opener Tashmail Mills quickly followed also for one when he edged Holder behind with just six runs added and with the score on 14, Akeem Fox was caught by Jomel Warrican at gully, driving at Holder.
The innings was plunged into further strife when Yannick Leonard was caught by Dario Cummins at square leg off Holder, to leave the Leewards floundering.
Holder finished with three for 36 while medium pacer Mayers took two for 18.