ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC):
Jamaica failed to take advantage of the momentum they had gained from winning their opening game of the West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 Championship with a loss to Guyana at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium yesterday.
Guyana, on the other hand, were rebounding from their first-round defeat against Trinidad & Tobago.
Scoring 121 off 42.2 overs, Guyana then bowled out Jamaica for 96 off 32.1 overs. Nicoli McKenzie took 4-25 from eight overs for the Jamaicans.
The Jamaica innings had been reduced to 33 overs on account of a rain delay.
For Guyana, Dave Mohabir took 2-19, while Dhanesh Persaud had 2-6, against opener Tyson Gordon’s 23 and Joel Williams’, batting at number eight, 19 not out.
When Guyana batted, their innings was bolstered by an unbeaten 54 from Romario Ramdehall.
Demarco Scott, who grabbed 3-21 for Jamaica, continues to have a good tournament after his 3-12 against Barbados on Tuesday.
Over at Coolidge Park, title-holders Barbados suffered their second straight defeat when they collapsed to a four-wicket defeat to Leeward Islands yesterday.
Rolled over for only 129, Barbados failed to halt the hosts’ pursuit of a revised target of 78 off 20 overs after rain intervened, to hand them another shock loss, this time under DLS.
At Liberta Sports Club, unbeaten Trinidad and Tobago trounced the Windward Islands by seven wickets in a game reduced to 20 overs per side.
However, it was the Barbados game that held interest, especially after the reigning champions went down in their opener to Jamaica on Tuesday.
Their batting struggled once again, leaving them with 129 all out in the 42nd over, left-hander Seth Smith top-scoring with 23 off 40 deliveries in three fours.
Losing their way at 73 for seven in the 37th over, it was Smith who inspired a crucial 40-run, eighth-wicket partnership with Jakeem Pollard (19), powering Barbados past the 100-run mark.
Kunal Tilokani led the Leewards’ attack with four for 17 while Amoree Jones supported them with three for 19.
In reply, the hosts had reached 18 for one in the fourth over when rain intervened, causing a lengthy break.
On resumption, Matthew Miller oversaw the revised run chase with an unbeaten 18 from 26 balls, his knock coming on the back of a 25-run, third-wicket stand between Lawshorn Bergan (11) and Lythe Browne (12).
Akobi Crichlow-Byer claimed two for 14 from four overs but his spell proved in vain.
Trinidad and Tobago’s success, meanwhile, was their second on the spin following a similar victory over Guyana on Tuesday.
Brendan Boodoo and Yasir Deen both claimed three for nine to leave the Windwards 71 all out in the penultimate over before Boodoo returned to top-score with 21 as T&T cruised to their target with 49 balls to spare.