Barbados were crowned the 2018 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Under17 champions after they defeated Guyana by six wickets in the final round of the competition yesterday.
Guyana, who entered the match at the top of the table and five points ahead of Barbados, posted 181-9 but struggled to defend it.
Speaking to Skipper Sachin Singh after the match, he related that he felt the team didn’t have enough runs on the board despite it being their highest total of the competition but said that the pitch favoured the batsmen.
Singh said the bowlers got off to a good start but the bowling and fielding deteriorated during the middle of the innings.
The boys from South America were on track to bring home their maiden title with Singh and Navindra Singh adding 55 runs for the first wicket.
Singh, the mainstay of the Guyana batting throughout the tournament, duly raised the half century stand with a boundary off of Amari Goodridge in the 10th over.
Singh, though, was the first to go with the top score of 32 inclusive of five fours but wickets began to fall as the middle order was unable to withstand a surging Barbados attack.
Seon Glasgow departed for seven while Persaud perished for 19 and Andre Seepersaud was run out for five leaving Guyana with a lot to do at 94-4.
Yeudistir Persaud was expected to land a big score in the final match, having failed throughout the tournament but continued his poor form as he was bowled by Austin for 12. Dwain Dick provided a small cameo of 20 to hold up the lower order with Nigel Deodat who defended stoutly at the other end but departed for only two.
The lower order’s Sheldon Charles and Leon Swamy scored nine and 16 runs respectively while a 24-run partnership at the end with Silvan Williams and Niran Bissu was crucial.
Williams scored 13 and Bissu 12 to see Guyana reach a respectable total.
Guyana switched their tactics by disregarding the new ball pair of Charles and Williams. Offspinner Dick and Williams shared the new ball but the experiment did not give the desired results.
However, Deodat removed Rashawn Worrell and Shamar Forde in the same over to see Barbados stutter at 24-2.
Deodat in his comeback spell then removed Seth Agard for 13 with Barbados yet to bring up their 50.
Anthonio Morris and Rivaldo Clarke then shared a fourth-wicket stand of 33. Morris who took a liking to the spinners, raced to his century, hitting Dick for two fours and a six in the same over and carting Glasgow for 15 runs in an over. Morris brought up his century with a six, needing just 81 balls to do so after smashing six fours and four sixes to take the game away from Guyana as they closed on 184-4 in 35.5 overs.
Deodat was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-25.
