SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica made sure of their place in the final of the Regional Under-19 Championship when they defeated Barbados by 39 runs in their final round contest here yesterday.
Batting first at Chedwin Park, they piled up 251 for eight off their 50 overs with Leonardo Friginette (76) and Abhijai Mansingh (58) stroking half-centuries.
Seamers Keon Harding (3-31) and Shamar Springer (2-43) led Barbados’ attack.
In reply, Barbados were cruising at one stage on 95 for one but then declined badly to be dismissed for 212 of 47 overs.
Captain Akil Greenidge scored 59 while opener Leniko Boucher got 40. Harding struck a lively 32 down the order.
Fast bowler Miguel Smith (3-25) and off-spinner Michael Frew (3-29) both picked up three wickets apiece while seamer Odean Smith claimed two for 69.
Jamaica, who started the final round in second spot, will now face Guyana in tomorrow’s final.
Jamaica had a shaky start, losing opener Jevoy Spence for seven with the score on 24 but Friginette and Mansingh stitched the innings up with a brilliant 135-run, second wicket stand.
Friginette faced 89 balls and struck three fours and three sixes while Mansingh counted five fours in a 100-ball knock.
They both fell within ten runs of each other to leave Jamaica on 169 for three, but Ramone Francis struck 25 from 19 balls to keep the momentum going.
Barbados then had a nightmare start to their run chase when they lost Lee-Germon Gaskin without scoring with no runs on the board.
However, Greenidge and Boucher came together to add 95 for the second wicket and put Barbados back in contention. Greenidge struck four fours off 88 deliveries and Boucher counted four fours in a 67-ball knock.
Once Boucher fell, Barbados lost five wickets for 65 runs to decline to 160 for six until Harding and Nicholas Kirton arrived to add 51 for the seventh wicket, and revive the innings.Harding lashed a four and two sixes off 29 balls while Kirton stroked 20 from 40 with two fours.
Kirton’s dismissal, however, proved pivotal, and Barbados lost their last four wickets for just one run.