Barbados capture Under-15 crown

Barbados were crowned West Indies Under-15 champions yesterday after a solid allround show from Jahidi Hinds enabled them to overcome a destructive spell from Windward Islands’ captain Earsinho Fontaine and gallop to a 192-run win.

Hinds gathered the top score of 84 from 105 balls that included five fours and three sixes, and he was one of three batsmen who got half-centuries for the Barbadians in their total of 297 in 49.2 overs after they chose to bat in their fifth and final round match at Bethesda.

Fellow opener and captain Damarko Wiggins supported with 62 off 69 balls that included five fours and three sixes, and fellow left-hander Justin Parris made 58 from 61 balls before Fontaine carved up the bottom half of

Barbados’ batting to end with five for 18 from 4.2 overs.

In reply, Jorden Charles got 32 and was the only Windwards batsman who reached 20 before they were dismissed for 105 in 26.2 overs.

Javed Worrell was the most successful Barbadian bowler taking three for 17 from five overs, while

Kelani Clarke and Hinds took two wickets apiece to help complete the demolition.

FOUR WINS

It was the fourth win in a row for Barbados after their opening match against Guyana was washed out without a ball bowled.

“After last year’s performance, I think a lot of hard work and a lot of planning went into our preparations,” Barbados coach Roddy Estwick said.

“We had a lot more time to prepare, and the boys were very coachable. Once young players are coachable, prepared to listen, and work hard, they will have a chance to be successful, and I am happy for them.

“The overall performance was quite pleasing. I thought it was a team performance, but the most pleasing thing is that I made some tactical tweaks, and the boys bought into it.”

The tweak that paid the most dividends was convincing Wiggins, the tournament’s leading scorer with 291 runs at an average of 72.75, to open the batting.

TWEAK WORKS

Estwick said the left-hander had batted in the middle order in two previous tournaments with little impact, but he felt he could offer more at the top of the order.

“I felt this year, having looked at him opening, and it really paid off and he bought into the idea as well,” he said. “When you plan something like that and it comes off, it works, it’s very pleasing.”

Elsewhere, a tidy all-round performance from Parmeshwar Ram helped to spur Guyana to a 147-run win against hosts Leeward Islands at Liberta – and second place.

Meanwhile, a miserly, yet penetrative spell from left-arm pacer Aarion Mohammed set up Trinidad and Tobago, last year’s champions, for an eight-wicket win against Jamaica at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.