KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC – Barbados made a fist of it but were forced to settle for a draw against Leeward Islands on the final day of the second round of matches in the West Indies Under-19 Championship here yesterday.
Set a target of 232 after Leewards declared their second innings on 222 for nine, Barbados ended on 203 for four to fall short in their run chase at the Arnos Vale Stadium.
All three matches finished in a stalemates, with Guyana and Leeward Islands drawing at Sion Hill and Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago deadlocked at Park Hill Playing Field.
Resuming the morning on 17 for two in their second innings, Leeward Islands got a top score of 81 from T’yanick Honore and 64 from Michael Palmer, before declaring in the second session on 222 for nine.
The innings slumped to 49 for five in the first session, fast bowler Raneico Smith (3-48) accounting for overnight batsmen Carlton Pluck (24) and Yanique Watley (11), and leg-spinner Zishan Motara knocking over West Indies Under-19 star Jewel Andrew for a three-ball ‘duck’. However, Palmer led the recovery in an 83-run sixth wicket stand with Honore who then added a further 59 for the eighth with Matthew Miller (22), as Leewards rallied.
West Indies Under-19 left-arm spinner Nathan Sealy claimed both Honore and Palmer to end with four for 30.
What appeared to be a straightforward draw then came alive when opener Kyle Jordan top-scored with a breezy 61 off 55 deliveries to give the chase a strong start.
The right-handed Jordan struck four fours and three sixes in an 82-run opening stand with Achilles Browne (14), taking Barbados to tea on 47 without loss, before both perished in the space of three deliveries.
Zion Brathwaite (21) and Joshua Dorne (18) put on 35 for the third wicket to sustain the momentum but it was wicketkeeper Joshua Morris who struck an unbeaten 48 and fast bowler Jatario Prescod, who belted an unbeaten 31 off 27 balls, who injected further drama into the contest. Morris faced 68 balls and struck two fours while Prescod counted three sixes in a 27-ball cameo, the pair posting 74 in an exciting fifth wicket partnership before Barbados just missed out.
Meanwhile, Andrew Rambaran struck an unbeaten 109 as Trinidad and Tobago declared their second innings on 250 for nine. The right-hander lashed 14 fours and three sixes off 132 deliveries as seaners Odel Samuels (3-56) and Tamarie Redwood (3-57) picked up three wicket hauls.
Trailing by 91 on first innings, Jamaica finished on 97 for two with opener Adrian Weir hitting 56.
