Defending champs Jamaica start U19 Super50 on losing note

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC):

DESTRUCTIVE SPELLS from pacer Joshua Davis and off-spinner Mavendra Dindyal enabled Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, respectively, to win their opening matches in the West Indies Men’s Under-19 Super50 Championship yesterday in St Vincent.

Davis grabbed five for 20 from 6.4 overs and spurred T&T to a 31-run win against Leeward Islands, and Dindyal bagged five for 24 from nine overs to give the Guyanese a 13-run win against defending champions Jamaica in the rain-affected first round of matches.

Playing at Arnos Vale, pacer Golcharran Chulai and Isai Thorne supported Dindyal to help Guyana bowl out the Jamaicans for 162 in 34.1 overs.

Chulai ended with two for 29 from 5.1 overs and Thorne, a West Indies Under-19 pacer at the previous ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa and beneficiary of overseas trips with the West Indies Test and Cricket West Indies Academy teams, finished with two for 39 from nine.

Jamaica’s captain Brian Barnes hit two fours and two sixes in the top score of 59 from 68 balls for his side, and opener Adrian Weir made 35.

Earlier, opener Rampertab Ramnauth led the way with 45 and overcame disruptive spells from Odel Samuels and Tamarie Redwood to anchor the Guyanese to 175 all out in 49.5 overs after they were put in to bat.

Pacer Samuels took four for 19 from his allotted 10 overs, and Redwood captured three for 31 from his 10 – but Riyad Latiff made 25, Thaddeus Lovell got 23, and Thorne added 21 to add a little beef to the Guyana total.

At Sion Hill, Davis was the pick of the T&T bowlers and fellow pacer Fareez Ali supported with three for 10 from six overs, as Leewards were bowled out for 77 in 29.4 overs, replying to the T&T total of 108 off 39.4 overs.

West Indies Under-19 wicketkeeper-batsman Jewel Andrew led the way for the Leewards with 33, but no other batsman reached 20.

Earlier, Andrew Rambarran, batting at six, defied steady bowling from the Leewards, led by Israel Morton and Michael Palmer, to hit 39 and inch T&T to a respectable, if not overpowering total.

At Park Hill, a match that promised much delivered little when wet conditions caused by rain forced a no-result between hosts Windward Islands and rivals Barbados.

The Barbadians were 72 for two off 10.1 overs, replying to the Windwards’ 192 all out from 44.4 overs, when the rain intervened.

The Windwards were, perhaps, left heartbroken. After winning the toss and deciding to bat, Theo Edward cracked seven fours in the top score of 55 from 123 balls, Stephan Pascal supported with 41, and Kirsten Murray made 23, to help mount a competitive total in the circumstances.

Pacer Jatario Prescod grabbed three for 33 from 4.4 overs, and spinners Preston Clarke and Saurav Worrell snared two wickets apiece.

The tournament continues today when Leewards face Guyana at Park Hill, T&T meet Barbados at Arnos Vale, and Windwards play Jamaica at Cumberland.