TAROUBA, Trinidad, CMC – Opener Kyle Mayers yesterday struck a stunning 48-ball hundred as unbeaten Barbados Pride escaped the clutches of the adverse weather to trounce luckless Windward Islands Volcanoes by eight wickets under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, and storm to the top of the Regional Super50 Cup standings.
With Pride in pursuit of a revised target of 148 off 21 overs at the Brian Lara Stadium here yesterday, the left-handed Mayers belted a stroke-filled unbeaten 107, helping his side to their target in the 15th over and to their second win in three matches.
He faced 52 balls and clobbered nine fours and nine sixes, racing to his fifty off 30 balls in the seventh over before bringing up his fourth List A century off only another 18 balls in the 14th over.
“It’s just a matter of staying as still as possible,” said Man-of-the-Match Mayers.
“The wicket was a good one so just being balanced at the crease and choosing the right balls to hit – that’s my method throughout any cricket I play, so I just tried to stick to it as long as possible.”
Captain Shai Hope chipped in with an unbeaten 29 off 28 deliveries with a four and two sixes, a virtual spectator in an unbroken third wicket stand of 70 with Mayers.
Volcanoes had earlier tallied 241 for eight off their 50 overs with Johnson Charles top-scoring with 59 off 48 deliveries, Jeremy Solozano getting 40 off 58 balls and Kavem Hodge, 34 off 38 balls.
Larry Edwards crunched an unbeaten 32 from 23 deliveries towards the end to rally the innings.
However, the target was revised after a lengthy rain delay at the innings break, leaving Pride with an asking rate of just over seven runs per over, in order to win the contest.
“The team has been suffering [at the hands] of the weather,” said Mayers.
“We really wanted to go out there and get a chance to bat today and we got the opportunity to play 21 overs, and we just tried to maximise and get as much bonus points as possible.
“The weather has been giving us a tough time in this tournament. We haven’t gotten as many bonus points as we would like. Hopefully today we get some and get up there in the leaderboard.”
The victory propelled Pride to 23 points, with Leeward Islands Hurricanes a point back in second and unbeaten hosts Trinidad and Tobago Red Force lying third – also on 22 points – but with an inferior net run rate.
Not for the first time in the tournament, Volcanoes started well after being sent in, Charles belting seven fours and three sixes in a 52-run, opening stand with left-hander Alick Athanaze (22) before adding a further 49 for the second wicket with Solozano.
Trinidadian Solozano, who counted four fours in his knock, put on 49 for the fourth wicket with Hodge before Edwards bludgeoned two fours and two sixes in a 46-run, eighth wicket partnership with Shamar Springer (23 not out), to get Volcanoes up to a competitive total.
Rain then changed the complexion of the game, leaving Pride with a shortened but tricky run chase.
Kraigg Brathwaite’s demise for a first-ball ‘duck’ to the fifth ball of the innings raised Volcanoes’ hopes but they were subsequently dashed once Mayers flexed his shoulders.
He first dominated a 68-run, second wicket stand with Shamarh Brooks (8) before combining with Hope to take Pride safely home.
The defeat for Volcanoes was their fourth in as many games.
