THE WINDWARD Islands' chance of contesting the semi-finals of the Red Stripe Bowl suffered a serious setback at Chedwin Park yesterday.
Batting first, after losing the toss, the Windward Islands were limited to 206 for eight and despite picking up a wicket in the first over and another in the second, ended up the losers as the Leeward Islands, thanks to three lovely innings, one by captain Stuart Williams, one by Tonito Willett and one by Carl Tuckett, recovered to reach 207 for five off 45 overs.
FIRST VICTORY
The win handed the Leeward Islands XI their first victory in three matches. For the Windward Islands, it was their second defeat in three matches.
Although both teams have the same record of one win and two losses, the Leeward Islands are out of contention for a place in the final four and the Windward Islands are still in the hunt.
The Leeward Islands are out because with one match to play, the best they can do is make it two wins and two losses, and that would not be good enough for a top two finish.
The Windward Islands still have a chance, however. If they defeat Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, who are expected to knock off Canada today, also defeat Trinidad and Tobago, that would leave the Windward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago with two victories and two losses each and the Windward Islands would move on.
Led by a solid but slow opening partnership of 71 in 24 overs between Devon Smith, 38 off 82 deliveries, and Romel Currency, 53 off 91, the Windward Islands, who scored only 23 runs off the first 10 overs and 80 off the first 25 despite losing only wicket, got off to a poor start and never recovered.
The only batsman who attempted to step up the pace was captain Rawl Lewis who, batting at No. 6, hit two sixes while scoring 23 off 21 deliveries before he stroked a simple catch to extra-cover.
Bowling for the Leeward Islands XI, pacer Elsroy Powell conceded 37 runs off his 10 overs, left-arm spinner Frank Munzac, who started the attack with Powell, took one for 22 off 10, offspinner Chaka Hodge two for 38 off 10, offspinner Alex Adams one for 31 off nine, medium-pacer Runako Morton one for 13 off one, and offspinner Omari Banks, three for 55 off his 10.
Tony Becca
In defence of what was no more than a fighting total, the Windward Islands got off to a dream start with Cameron Cuffy removing Adams in the first over caught by wicketkeeper Junior Murray at zero for one, Fernix Thomas taking care of left-hander Shane Jeffers in the second over caught by Murray for four at four for two, and Thomas getting rid of Morton at 18 for three in the sixth over.
With Williams hitting five fours and two sixes while scoring 45 off 43 deliveries and Willett 55 off 75 deliveries with six fours and one six, the Leeward Islands XI added 75 runs in 10 overs before Williams, after smashing right-arm legspinner Lewis over long-off for six, attempted to repeat the shot and was caught on the long-off boundary at 98 for four.
