All-round Banks downs Windwards

Having played a leading role in the previous three days at the Bourda, there was perhaps little surprise that Omari Banks was the man to lift Leewards Islands to victory over Windward Islands on the fourth. Banks' outstanding match culminated with him taking a six-wicket haul on the final day to send Windwards crashing to 266 all out in pursuit of a target of 320. His heroics ensured Leewards needed just over a session to post their first win of the tournament ....

Banks - who took seven wickets in the first innings - took four to finish with figures of 6 for 113 and make it a match bag of 13 for 154, to go with innings of 30 and 57 with the bat. Windwards lost their last six wickets for 136 runs, with Andre Fletcher (80) and Kenroy Peters (52) the main contributors. Nelon Pascal, the nightwatchman, added just a single run to his name before he stabbed at a delivery from Banks and popped a catch to Montcin Hodge at 137 for 5. Banks then broke a 42-run seventh-wicket partnership by trapping Donwell Hector lbw for 15. Next to go was Rawl Lewis, who was brilliantly held at silly mid-off by Steve Liburd, also off Banks. The next two wickets fell for ten runs and even a 71-run association for the final wicket was not enough.

Kevin Stoute was the main man on the final day at the Albion Sports Complex, helping Barbados beat Guyana by 58 runs. The hosts, chasing 329 to win, resumed on 59 for 3 and were bowled out for 270 about five minutes before tea with Stoute's spell of thre for 15 from 5.4 overs being decisive.

Suliemann Benn had given Barbados an early lift by dismissing Royston Crandon without a run added to Guyana's score, and Corey Edwards sent back the nightwatchman Davendra Bishoo soon after. It became 85 for 6 when Edwards trapped for 6, but stands of 52 and 93 for the next two wickets evened the contest. From 158 for 7 at lunch, Guyana progressed through Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Zaheer Mohamed; Barbados were let down by their rookie wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, who dropped two catches and regularly fumbled the ball.

Then came the decisive spell. Stoute was called back to bowl the 65th over and got Chanderpaul to top-edged a catch to Dowrich for 77, and in the 67th bowled Veerasammy Permaul. His third wicket signaled the end for Guyana. With their third win of the tournament Barbados are in second place with 45 points, three behind leaders Jamaica, while Guyana sit at the bottom of the pile with seven. Tino Best was named Man of the Match for his six wickets in Guyana's first innings.

A career-best spell of bowling from Tamar Lambert took tournament leaders Jamaica to a 29-run win over Combined Campuses & Colleges at the Guyana National Stadium. CCC needed 91 to win on day four with six wickets in hand but Lambert turned in a captain's performance to snub their hopes of a win. He began by dismissing Floyd Reifer early in the day, lofting down to long-on where David Bernand clutched a superb running catch, and then broke a 47-run stand by dismissing Kyle Corbin and Kevin McClean in quick succession. CCC completely folded thereafter, losing five wickets for 11 runs. Fittingly, Lambert took the last wicket; his figures of 8 for 42 from 31.1 overs were significantly better than his previous best, 4 for 44 against Barbados three seasons ago.