Bridgetown, Barbados — Trinidad and Tobago made an impressive start to the West Indies Cricket Board’s Under-19 50-over Tournament, while Barbados and Guyana also recorded comfortable victories on the opening day on Sunday.
The Trinis made a huge statement as they hammered the Leeward Islands by a whopping 161 runs at Friendship. Nicholas Pooran made whirlwind century, while Stephan Wharwood and Anthony Simmons topped up with blazing half-centuries as T&T made 332-6 off their 50 overs. They went on an all-out attack as 140 runs came in the final 10 overs.
Pooran hit 102 off 71 balls with eight fours and seven sixes. Simmons was equally brutal with 58 not out off 31 balls with three fours and six sixes. Together they added a record 143 runs off 70 balls for the fifth wicket. Earlier Wharwood made 84 off 109 balls with four fours and three sixes in the first half of the innings.
Asked to score at over 6.5 runs per over for victory, the Leewards were bowled out for 161 in the 44th over. Simmons was back in the action with his off-spin which brought three wickets for 15 runs off six overs.
At Queen’s Park, defending champions Barbados also made a good start with an easy 74-run win over the International Cricket Council’s Americas team. Skipper Shai Hope continued his great form with a mature century as the Bajans batted first and made 262-7 off 50 overs.
Hope came to the crease in the second over with the score at 2-1 and batted to the end. He joined Shayne Moseley, who made 55, in a second-wicket stand of 113 in 27 overs. Hope faced 144 balls and hit 11 fours and three sixes as the last 10 overs yielded 82 runs. The knock was Hope’s fourth century of the tournament, following 101, 140 not out and 104 not out in the Three-Day tournament.
The Americas were in with a shout up to the halfway stage, thanks to opener Steven Taylor who played a number of powerful shots in a run-a-ball 75. After he fell the tourists lost four wickets for seven runs in seven overs and they never recovered.
At Bayfield, Guyana held their nerve to see off Jamaica by five wickets. Guyanese left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie took three wickets to restrict the Jamaicans to 198-7 off 50 overs. The score was built around an eighth-wicket stand of 96 between Delbert Gayle (73) and Raghni Francis (18 not out). Gayle’s knock came from 64 balls with five fours and two sixes, after Oshane Walters scored 66 with a six and four fours off 96 balls.
It was then left to Tagenarine Chanderpaul, with a patient 58 off 95 balls, and Ricardo Adams, with a robust 42, see Guyana to victory.
The tournament continues on Monday. Barbados face T&T at Bayfield, Guyana take on Windward Islands at Friendship and Leewards Islands meet Jamaica at Queen’s Park. First ball is 9 am (8 am Jamaica Time).
Score summaries
At Bayfield: Guyana beat Jamaica by 5 wickets
Jamaica 198-7 off 50 overs (Oshane Walters 66, Delbert Gayle 73 not out, Gudakesh Motie 3-35) Guyana 199-5 off 46.1 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 58, Ricardo Adams 44, Shimron Hetmeyer 31, Mohan Ramdeen 22 not out)
At Queen’s Park: Barbados beat ICC Americas by 74 runs
Barbados 262-7 off 50 overs (Shai Hope 139 not out, Shayne Moseley 55; Manny Aulakh 3-39) ICC Americas 188 off 45.5 overs (Stephen Taylor 75; Nitesh Kumar 26, Chaim Holder 3-29, Craigg St. Hill 2-19)
At Friendship: Trinidad and Tobago beat Leeward Islands by 161 runs
Trinidad and Tobago 332-6 off 50 overs (Nicholas Pooran 102, Anthony Simmons 58 not out, Stephan Wharwood 84) Leeward Islands 161 off43.2 overs (Duane Webbe 39, Akeem Saunders 27; Anthony Simmons 3-15)