ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Barbados were crowned West Indies Under-15 champions on Wednesday after a solid all-round 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, including five fours and three sixes. He was one of three batsmen who got half-centuries for the Barbadians in their total of 297 all out in 49.2 overs after they chose to bat in their fifth and final round match at Bethesda.
Fellow opener and Barbados 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 their side’s batting to end with five for 18 from 4.2 overs and was one of two bowlers that finished the tournament with a chart-topping 11 wickets.
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 of the Windwards’ batting, which finished fourth in the tournament on nine points.
It was the Barbadians’ fourth win in a row after their opening match against Guyana was washed out without a ball bowled. They topped the six-team table with 22 points—1.2 more than the second-placed Guyanese.
“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 much more time to prepare, and the boys were very coachable. Once young players are coachable, ready 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.
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 to the team at the top.
“I felt this year, having looked at his 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, Parmeshwar Ram’s tidy all-round performance helped to spur Guyana to a 147-run win against hosts Leeward Islands at Liberta and second place.
Ram, opening the bat, led the way with 60 off 83 balls, including five fours. He was one of two batsmen who got half-centuries in the Guyana total of 258 for eight after they were put in to bat.
Emmanuel Lewis scored 60 off 55 balls, including five fours and three sixes, and Adrian Hetmyer, nephew of West Indies left-handed batsman Shimron Hetmyer, scored 48.
Ram returned to open the bowling and was one of four Guyanese bowlers who grabbed two wickets before the Leewards were bowled out for 111 in 35.4 overs, finishing fifth in the tournament on 7.8 overs.
A miserly yet penetrative spell from left-arm pacer Aarion Mohammed set up Trinidad & Tobago, last year’s champions, for an eight-wicket win against Jamaica at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.
Mohammed took four wickets for 17 from his allotted 10 overs and finished the tournament with 11 wickets. After they decided to bat, the Jamaicans were bowled out for 101 in 38.1 overs.
Demario Hall led Jamaica with a relentless, even 50 off 104 balls before pacer Aiden Owen collected his scalp and ended with three for 14 from 8.1 overs. At the same time, T&T captain Zane Maraj added two wickets with his off-spin.
Maraj followed up with a top score of 32 not out, and Zakariyya Mohammed was not out on 29. T&T reached their target in 19 overs flat and finished third in the standings with 13.6 points, while Jamaica ended bottom of the table on 5.2.
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