Barbados win despite pathetic batting display

(COOLIDGE, Antigua )Barbados recovered from a poor batting display to beat Dominica by 26 runs in the latest Stanford 20/20 Round of 16 Match at Stanford Cricket Ground on Tuesday night.

Barbados, with the win, secured their place in the quarterfinals and will play Grenada on February 15.

Replying to Barbados' 103 for eight; Dominica were dismissed for 77 in 16 overs.

In what was a very poor batting display, Barbados, one of the strong traditional teams, only Ryan Hinds (38 not out) and Jonathon Carter (30) were the only batsmen to reach double figures.

Hinds, however, was kept quiet for most part. He came to the crease after Ahmed Proverbs (one) was bowled by left-arm spinner Roy Marshall, who also removed captain Dwayne Smith, caught and bowled for nine at 11 for two in the third over.

Barbados slipped further into trouble at 13 for three when Dale Richards (one) edged pacer Mervin Matthew behind for wicket-keeper Samuel Mitchel to take an easy catch. The fourth wicket fell at 30 when Alcindo Holder pulled straight into the hands of Kristen Casimir on the mid-wicket boundary. He made seven.

At this stage, with more than half the overs to bowl, many were wondering if an upset was on the card or how close Barbados would get to the 100 mark. But in a slight turn-a-round, Hinds, the most experienced player in the Barbados team and Jonathan Carter, in his first match at this level, joined forces in an 49-run fifth wicket.

In the partnership, the biggest of the match, the 20-year-old Carter, the only player in Barbados team without First Class cap, out scored his senior partner throughout. He scored 30 off 36 balls, which included a four and six.

Carter's dismissal triggered another collapse as Barbados struggled to the end.

Mervin Matthew, whose last two deliveries accounted for Ryan Nurse (seven) and Carlo Morris (zero), finished with 3-18 and Roy Marshall, who broke the back of Barbados' top-order with two wickets in the first three overs, ended with 2-12.

At their turn at bat, Dominica were in trouble from the second over. Tyrone Toussaint and Liam Sebastien were both dismissed with only a run on the board. Tossaint was run out while Sebastien was bowled by Sulieman Bent.

It did not get any better for Dominica, who slipped further into trouble when Kristen Casimir (11), Kevin James (seven), and Shane Shillingford (zero) fell at 29 for five. By this stage, Barbados' total seems a very large one.

The wickets continued to tumbled, but Dominica, who had over three-quarter of the crowd support, enjoyed a last wicket stand of 27, the innings' biggest, between Samuel Mitchel (15 not out) and Raymond Casimir (15).

Marshall (11) and Kristen Casimir (11) were the only batsmen to reach double figures. Khalid Springer, who bowled Raymond Casimir to finish the match, was the chief wicket taker with 4-20.

Sulieman Benn supported with 3-11 and Smith 2-20.

Winning captain, Dwayne Smith of Barbados, said it was a disappointed total, while hinted it was due to the fact that "the Dominicans bowled well," he said. Despite the low total, Smith said he knew Dominica would not have gotten close. "The runs were on the board, so we just had to go out there and executed the task and make our country proud and that what we did.

"Our aim was to get some quick wickets and bowl tight. The aim was not to give them more than 60 runs ... they got beyond that, but we won and that is more important," he said.

Dominica's captain blamed his batsmen for the tam's defeat."We bowled and fielded well, but obviously the batting did not come off. In any cricket, you have to put both together in order to win a game.

"They bowled well, but irresponsibility from some of our batsmen let us down. Some of us played some shots that we shouldn't have played," he said.

Ryan Nurse picked up US$10,000 for the Play of the Match with a huge six overthe boundary side Sticky Wicket Restaurant while Benn took home US$25,000 for his Man of the Match performance.