A superb all-round display gifted Barbados Under-19 Men an emphatic title defence of the West Indies Rising Stars 50-Over Championship on Thursday at Conaree Sports Club in St Kitts and Nevis.
The success follows the achievement of the victorious Barbados Under-19 Women, who clinched their first regional title last Saturday in Trinidad and Tobago.
The young Barbadians erased the 212 all out in 48.2 overs set by the United States of America-1 team which won the toss.
An unbeaten 55 from 82 balls from skipper Joshua Dorne saw Barbados to a six-wicket victory on 215 for four in 38.2 overs, with wicketkeeper-batsman Gadson Bowens hitting back-to-back boundaries to seal the victory.
Barbados got off to a flying start as the champions’ opening pair of Zachary Carter, 34 off 14, and Micah Greenidge, 32 off 36, blazed 65 runs in 5.2 overs to set the tempo.
All-rounder Shaquan Belle was promoted to number three, and did not disappoint. The right-hander hit 45 from 41 balls with eight boundaries as Barbados cruised to 116 for two, after Belle and Greenidge put on 51 for the second wicket.
Captain Dorne’s measured 55 not out ensured there were no hiccups along the way for the repeat champions.
His fourth half-century of the campaign pushed him to the top of the runs chart with 328, four ahead of opening batsman Carter, as the champions celebrated the top two leading run-scorers in the tournament.
Joshua Branch added 29 from 44 balls before Bowens came in not out on 10.
Earlier, left-arm quick Jakeem Pollard and off-spinner Carter took three wickets apiece to help dismiss the Americans for the below-par total of 212.
The score was a stark contrast to the 305 for eight posted by the same American team against Barbados earlier in the competition.
Under the guidance of former West Indies and Barbados player, head coach Sherwin Campbell, the Barbadian bowling attack executed their plans to a tee, paving the way for a comfortable triumph.
Even Dorne, with his part-time off-breaks, snatched two wickets for 17 runs to support the front-line bowlers.
Belle, who took a fifer in the first encounter between the teams, once again removed the USA number three Utkarsh Srivastava, who had made the champions toil with his 124 in round five.
Despite going wicketless in the final, R’Jai Gittens was Barbados’ top wicket-taker and third on the overall list with 14 scalps.
Carter hit the most sixes (19) in the competition.
In other fixtures, Windward Islands finished third by defeating Jamaica by 76 runs, while Guyana claimed fifth place with a five-wicket win over Trinidad and Tobago, and Leewards took seventh place after beating USA-2 by 66 runs.
rohansonnwaithe@barbadostoday.bb
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