Best rips through Guyana

Sidelined West Indies fast bowler, Tino Best, claimed five for 24 off five overs to lead Barbados to an impressive 151-run win over Guyana, in their top-of-the-table West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) 50 Over Tournament clash at Sabina Park yesterday.

The 29-year-old Best, who last represented the West Indies late last year, bowled a flurry of bouncers and well-pitched deliveries to rip through the Guyanese top and middle-order as the team from the South American mainland , set 252 to win, were restricted to 100 off 21.5 overs.

Barbados, on the back of a 63-ball 60 from middle-order batsman, Jonathan Carter, and a 56-ball 53 from opener Dale Richards, were earlier dismissed for 251 off 49.3 overs.

A bonus

The result kept Barbados atop Group B on nine points, one of which is a bonus gained due to the nature of their victory and qualified them for the semi-finals, making the eastern Caribbean country the second team to do so in the two-week tournament.

The other qualifier so far is the Windward Islands, which lead Group A with eight points, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (six), Jamaica (two) and the Combined Campuses and Colleges (zero).

"We knew what we needed to do to make the semi-finals and applied ourselves," said Barbados' captain, Ryan Hinds.

Good support

Best got good support from left-arm spinner, Ryan Hinds, who took 3-34 off 6.5 overs and Suliemann Benn, 2-19 off six overs.

Earlier, Barbados challenging total was built around a 101-run fourth wicket stand between the left-handed Carter and Richards, who peppered the ropes with a number of boundaries.

Carter hit four sixes and two sixes, while Richards, himself a sidelined West Indies player, hit seven fours.

"It was tough loss as we did not play to our potential. But that's how it goes, we will just have to come better in our next game against the Leewards, get a win and book our spot in the next round."

- Jermaine Lannaman