JAMES BOND

CAVE HILL, Barbados, CMC – Resurgent Windward Islands Volcanoes picked the ideal moment to deliver their most convincing win of the Regional Super50, when they thrashed Hampshire by 136 runs yesterday to romp into the semi-finals and shatter Trinidad and Tobago Red Force’s hopes.

Entering the Group A affair at 3Ws Oval needing to win while also securing a bonus point, Volcanoes produced a clinical performance behind Andre Fletcher’s maiden regional one-day hundred, to dominate the English county side and grab the five points required.

They ended their preliminary campaign level on 22 points with Red Force but sneaked into the final four by virtue of having more wins.

Three of the four semi-final places have now been determined with title-holders Barbados Pride already qualified from Group A and Guyana Jaguars booking their spot on from Group B on Friday night following their win over Jamaica Scorpions in Antigua.

Volcanoes, who surprised Red Force by three wickets in their last match on Thursday, showed aggressive intent from the outset yesterday, piling up 293 all out off 50 overs.

The right-handed Fletcher top-scored with a brilliant 132 off 135 balls while the reliable opener Devon Smith, short of runs in the tournament, supported with 84 from 89 deliveries.

Together, they pulled Volcanoes out of trouble at 27 for three in the seventh over with a magnificent 155-run, fourth wicket stand.

Left-arm seamer Chris Wood shone in an outstanding spell, taking five for 38 while former Barbados and West Indies speedster, Fidel Edwards, kept up his wicket-taking form with four for 51.

In reply, Hampshire recovered from the loss of two cheap wickets to be well placed at 67 for two in the 15th over before left-arm spinner Kavem Hodge (4-24) and former West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford (3-45) crippled the innings, which ended in ruins at 157 in the 38th over.