PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – In an amazing finish to the West Indies Under-15 Champion-ship yesterday, Trinidad and Tobago lifted the title after hammering the previously undefeated Guyana by 81 runs.
The result left T&T and Guyana on eight points, along with Jamaica who beat Leeward Islands by 78 runs at Gilbert Park.
With net run rate determining the winner, Trinidad and Tobago sneaked the title with a run-rate of +1.32, while dethroned champions Jamaica finished on +1.03 and Guyana, +0.68.
It was a disappointing result for Guyana who had earlier installed themselves as the favourites to capture the championship when they beat Barbados in the penultimate fourth round on Saturday.
Jamaica had also put themselves in with an outside chance of snatching the title when they crushed T&T by 81 runs at Wilson Road.
But T&T had other ideas and before a large crowd at the Inshan Ali Park in Preysal, proceeded to turn the competition on its head.
Asked to bat first, T&T failed to impress and were restricted to a modest 177 for eight in their allotted 50 overs, with only Man-of-the-Match Jeremy Solozano showing any enterprise with 79 from 141 balls with five fours.
The compact Nicholas Pooran chipped in with a determined 31 as left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie Kanhai was the leading bowler with three for 34.
Set an asking rate of a little more three runs per over for victory and the title, the young Guyanese found the going tough against the spin and pace attack employed by T&T’s skipper Vikash Mohan and were restricted to 109 for nine.
Kamesh Yadran top scored with 28, while Shalendra Shameer made 21, with left-arm spinner Justin Joseph emerging as T&T’s top bowler with four for 26 from 10 overs.
Former champions Jamaica batted first at Gilbert Park and were dismissed for 178 off 41.3 overs with Keneil Anniford top-scoring with 33 and Christopher Powell getting 31.
AJ Abrams, Hakeem Henry and Bervis Burke all finished with three wickets.
In response, the Leewards were bundled out for 103 off 32.2 overs as Anniford (4-28) and Fabian Allen (3-36) tore through the batting.
At the National Cricket Centre, Barbados registered a slim six-run-win against the Windward Islands in a game of academic interest.
Barbados had first strike and chalked up 266 for five off 50 overs with Jaffari Toppin scoring an unbeaten 55 and Jonathan Drakes making an even 50.
In reply, Windwards almost pulled off an upset win as they reached 260 for eight thanks to a hard-fought unbeaten 81 from Keon George who faced 105 balls and struck four fours.
