BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Barbados handed Jamaica their first defeat to claim their semi-final spot in the TCL West Indies Under-19 Cricket Challenge Limited Overs Series on Thursday, August 16.
Barbados, requiring 209 runs for victory, achieved their target when Shamar Cooke smashed the first ball of the final over to the long-on boundary for four.
Barbados will now face Guyana in their semi-final clash Friday.
The main architects of the Barbados win were openers Rashidi Boucher (92) and Kyle Corbin (51) who got their team off to a tremendous start, posting a first wicket partnership of 105 runs in 114 deliveries on a lightning fast outfield.
Boucher, who had strokes of luck on 34, 62 and 69, batted for just over three hours and was the final wicket to fall with six runs needed from seven balls. In all, he faced 156 balls and struck 11 fours with two sweetly timed sixes.
Corbin played a flawless innings until he was lbw to Christopher Watson playing back to a faster delivery. He was on strike for 55 balls and clouted four boundaries.
Barbados appeared to be cruising comfortably towards their target scoring at well over five runs per over until the introduction of the Jamaican spinners.
The inability of the batsmen to use their feet smartly pegged them back sharply and near panic set in as the asking rate shot up. Apart from the openers, only Simon Steel (21) and Renaldo Arthur (17) were able to register double figures.
Jamaica, who rested three of their consistent performers, would have been disappointed with their fielding display as they dropped no less than five relatively easy catches.
Wicketkeeper Andre Lindsay had a torrid time behind the stumps as he muffed a number of chances.
Earlier, Jamaica lost their last seven wickets for 24 runs to be all out for 208 off 46.2 overs after they were asked to bat first.
Cruising at 184 for three in the 35th over, Simon Steele (4-26) and Shamarh Brooks (2-52) wreaked havoc among the middle and lower order as Jamaica collapsed dramatically.
The opening pair of Horace Miller (69) and Christie Jones (33) made light work of the Barbados new ball attack, the duo racing to 50 in just 39 deliveries while bringing up the hundred partnership in just 98 balls.
Miller was the first to be dismissed by off-spinner Ashley Nurse, with the total at 106. Playing back to a delivery that kept a shade low, he was trapped plumb leg before wicket after facing 64 deliveries and striking eight fours and two sixes.
Jones, who struck four fours off 76 balls was the next to go with the total at 144 for two. Responding to a call by Nkruma Bonner (32) for a quick single, he was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from mid-off as Kyle Corbin spectacularly uprooted the single stump at which he had to aim.
A rollicking 38-run, fourth wicket partnership between Bonner and captain Derval Green (21) kept the Jamaicans in the hunt for a big total but when the partnership was broken with the score at 184 for four, however, things fell part.
A series of atrocious shots by the Jamaicans and intelligent bowling by the Barbadian spinners saw a rapid progression to and from the pavilion by batsmen.
