GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – An unbroken sixth-wicket partnership between Derone Davis and Akeal Hosein hauled Trinidad and Tobago out of trouble and steered them to a convincing five-wicket win over Barbados in the second round of the TCL Group West Indies Under-19 One-Day Trophy yesterday.
In a spot of bother at 96 for five in the 26th over, Davis and Hosein put on 73 to propel T&T to 169 for five off 40.1 overs, overhauling Barbados’ hardly challenging 165 all-out off 45.5 overs.
Davis stroked an enterprising, unbeaten 49 from 47 balls with six fours and two sixes while Hosein, who lent firm support, had three fours in his 27 from 53 balls.
Earlier, opener Clint St Hill top-scored with 57 and Dario Cummins struck an unbeaten 47 down the order, but Barbados were manhandled by the Trinidadian bowlers on a Gros Islet Playing Field pitch that had early life.
Fast bowler Teshawn Castro prospered with four for 32 while left-arm spinner Yannick Ottley (2-19) and leg-spinner Yannic Cariah (2-41) finished with two wickets apiece.
Defending their paltry target, Barbados had a dream start when left-arm seamer Ravendra Persaud removed both openers to send T&T crashing to 36 for three.
He had Kieron Joseph caught behind in the third over for 15 with the score on 16 before fellow seamer Justin Greaves had Evin Lewis caught at cover by Marquez Clarke for four in the next over.
Persaud claimed his second when Alexis nibbled at one outside off-stump and was caught behind at 38 for three.
A 42-run stand between captain Yannick Ottley and Yannic Cariah then repaired the innings and put the Trinidadians back on course.
Left-arm spinner Kevin Earle then got the breakthrough in the 21st over, however, when he trapped Ottley lbw for 30 off 50 balls with four fours.
Barbados were back in contention five overs later when Cariah was also lbw to off-spinner Roston Chase for 21 at 96 for five.
But Davis and Hosein, batting with maturity and commonsense, then saw T&T to victory with their productive stand.
Earlier, Barbados never really recovered from a bad start and lost wickets steadily throughout their innings.
They lost captain Kraigg Brathwaite for 12 in the fifth over and Roston Chase for eight three overs later, both prised out by the lively Castro.
When Kyle Mayers was run out with scoring in a mix-up with St Hill at 38 for three and Shai Hope also departed for no score lbw to Castro one run later, the Barbados innings was in strife.
They then benefitted from two decent partnerships to reach their eventual score. St Hill and Greaves (21) posted 33 for the fifth wicket before Cummins joined St Hill to add another 58 for the sixth wicket.
St Hill faced 100 balls and cracked four fours and a six while Cummins chipped in with 47 not-out from 73 balls with four fours.
