Barbados 179 for 3 (K Brathwaite 80*, Brooks 33*) beat Windward Islands 175 (Devon Smith 44, Benn 4-26) by seven wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
02:27
Barbados and T&T to face off in 2014 final rematch
Kraigg Brathwaite‘s unbeaten 80 off 120 balls followed up a dominant spin bowling performance by Barbados to see off Windward Islands by seven wickets in the second Nagico Super50 semi-final on Thursday night at Queen’s Park Oval to set up a rematch of the 2014 final between Barbados and reigning title-holders Trinidad & Tobago.
Eight of the ten wickets in the Windwards innings fell to spin as they struggled to 175 after choosing to bat first. Sulieman Benn claimed his third four-for of the tournament to lead the way in the field for Barbados but was well-supported by offspinner Ashley Nurse and fellow left-armer Jomel Warrican who took two wickets each.
Nurse set the tone with a double-wicket maiden taking the new ball in the second over to remove Johnson Charles for a duck when the opener miscued a slog to short midwicket. The offspinner continued to choke off the runs and by the end of the opening powerplay he had figures of 5-2-12-1.
Devon Smith and Tyrone Theophile saw off the threat of Nurse before targeting the pace of Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite to build a 74-run stand. However, the intervention of Benn and Warrican produced desired results for Barbados. After reaching the drinks break at 76 for 1 in 19 overs, Windwards’ batting slide was sparked by Benn on the first ball after play resumed as Smith drifted lazily out of his crease looking to drive and was stumped for 44.
Benn proceeded to tear a hole in the Windwards middle order with wickets in each of his subsequent three overs. Theophile fell in the 22nd edging an attempted cut to slip before Andre Fletcher was trapped in front playing back to a good length ball in the 24th. Captain Liam Sebastien concluded the collapse of 4 for 19 when he fell in similar fashion to Theophile, though this time it was the keeper Dowrich who held onto the catch as the score became 95 for 5 after 26.
Windwards reached 121 before the wicket of Sunil Ambris for 31 triggered another mini-collapse of 3 for 5 in seven balls. Warrican took out Ambris and Shillingford on back-to-back balls in the 35th before Nurse returned to induce a return catch off the bat of Keron Cottoy. Carlos Brathwaite wiped out the tail as Windwards were dismissed in 45.4 overs.
Dwayne Smith’s poor tournament for Barbados continued when he fell on the first ball of the chase, playing around his pads to fall leg before to Mervin Matthew. Windwards couldn’t capitalize on the early breakthrough though and from there it was smooth sailing.
Kraigg Brathwaite put on solid stands with Shai Hope and Jonathan Carter before a 96-run stand with Shamarh Brooks sealed the match with 33 balls to spare. Brathwaite coasted to his fifty off 95 balls in the 38th over with a flicked boundary through square leg. He survived a chance on 69 in the 43rd over but Fletcher muffed a simple stumping chance produced by Cottoy’s legspin. Windwards had given up hope of winning by that stage though and Brathwaite clinched victory two overs later with his ninth boundary through the leg side.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo