LUCAS STREET, Barbados, CMC – Opener Kraigg Brathwaite’s second Regional Super50 hundred inspired unbeaten Barbados Pride to a commanding 171-run victory over ICC Americas in a one-sided contest at Windward Cricket Ground here yesterday.
In another imperious display by the hosts, they stormed to 282 for nine off their allotted 50 overs after opting to bat first, and then bundled out ICC Americas for 111 in the 34th over, to seal their fifth straight win.
Test batsman Brathwaite followed up his 101 against Guyana Jaguars just over a week ago with 108 off 134 deliveries, while left-hander Jonathan Carter sustained his good form with 57 and Roston Chase, 40.
Leg-spinner Timil Patel (3-57) and fast bowler Cecil Pervez (3-58) claimed three wickets apiece.
Captain and seamer Jason Holder then crippled the ICC Americas run chase with a brilliant spell of three for 25 from 10 overs while left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (2-18) and fast bowler Kemar Roach (2-22) supported with two wickets apiece.
All-rounder Timroy Allen stroked a typically whirlwind 36 off 25 balls while Alex Amsterdam chipped in with 30.
But they were the only two to pass 20 as ICC Americas slumped to 39 for six in the 12th over and never really recovered.
ICC Americas had earlier struck the first blow of the contest when Anthony Alleyne fell cheaply for two with three runs on the board in the second over.
However, Brathwaite led the recovery in an innings that included seven fours and six, and which anchored three successive half-century stands.
He put on 79 for the second wicket with Shai Hope who made 27 and another 92 for the third wicket with Carter whose knock was a busy one requiring just 56 balls and including three fours and a six.
Brathwaite then allied with Chase in an up tempo 66-run, fourth wicket stand off 46 balls, which pushed Pride past the 200-run mark.
Test batsman Chase clobbered a four and three sixes in a 27-ball cameo but once he was bowled by Pervez in the 45th over, Pride lost their next six wickets for 42 runs.
ICC Americas’ run chase was in peril as early as the fourth ball of the innings when Hakeem Dobson was caught at the wicket off Roach without scoring, and captain Nitish Kumar followed for one off the first ball of the second over when he was bowled by Holder, with three runs on the board.
They were in further trouble at seven for three in the third over when Kamau Leverock, coming off a half-century in his last innings, departed for just one after cutting Roach to Warrican at third man.
Amsterdam and Srimantha Wijeyeratne (1) put on 29 for the fourth wicket before three quick wickets tumbled for as many runs in the space of 11 balls.
Tottering on 39 for six, Allen blasted a four and four sixes in a 32-run, seventh wicket partnership with Saad bin Zafar (4) but the latter’s dismissal, lbw to off-spinner Ashley Nurse in the 18th over, brought a swift end to the innings.
