Bajans get off to a winning start

The competition in Zone B of the Red Stripe Bowl was inaugurated with Tuesday's match between Barbados and Antigua at the Uitvlugt Community Grounds in Guyana. Antigua, winning the toss, decided to bat, but the advantage was squandered by a 'house-of-cards' start as the first four wickets fell for 23 runs. Corey Collymore, freshly returned to the international one-day team, picked up two of the first four batsmen, going on to add a third scalp later in the day.

Wilden Cornwall and Kerry Jeremy provided the only adequate support to the real star of the Antiguan innings, West Indian stumper Ridley Jacobs. As he has done on many occasions for the West Indies, Jacobs crafted a determined knock, making an unbeaten 76 and leading Antigua to a total of 187 for the loss of nine wickets within the allotted 50 overs.

In the face of Barbados' strong opening stand of 85, Antigua never looked like defending their meagre pickings. A forceful innings of 53 by opener Philo Wallace and substantial contributions from Floyd Reifer and Dale Richards saw Barbados overhaul the total in 42 overs, picking up, in the process, their first four points in the Red Stripe Bowl.