Thrilling tie at Sabina!

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

The Leeward Islands and favourites Barbados were crowned joint West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional 50-over champions after playing to an exciting tie in the final at Sabina Park yesterday.

In the first tied match in the 39-year history of the tournament, the Leewards first made a below-par 139 off 32.5 overs, and Barbados, in reply, made 139 off 38 overs.

Leading the way for the Leewards, who were winning their seventh title, was West Indies discard, fast bowler Lionel Baker, who claimed man-of-the-match figures of five for 33 off his allotted 10 overs.

Barbados, who were landing their sixth crown, were piloted by another West Indies discard, pacer Tino Best, who took four for 28 off 6.5 overs.

"It was good, exciting cricket for the crowd and I am sure they enjoyed it," said a somewhat disappointed Ryan Hinds, captain of Barbados.

"We played for our prime minister, David Thompson, who died yesterday (Saturday), and I am sure he and the people back home would be proud of the effort we put out throughout the tournament."

Bad start

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Leewards got off to a bad start when they lost their first three wickets with just 17 runs on the board.

The first batsman to go was opener Montcin Hodge who, after facing four deliveries, was bowled by Best for a duck with the score on one.

His opening partner, 19-year-old Chesney Hughes, who starred in the semi-finals against the Windward Islands, was next to go when he was caught at the wicket, also for a duck, with the score on two.

This brought to the crease Javia Liburd and Steve Liburd - no relation - and the pair added 15 runs for third wicket before Steve became Best's second victim.

Steve's dismissal then brought to the crease captain Wilden Cornwall, who, along with Javia, put on a fighting 60 for the third wicket before the latter (12 off 39 balls) was caught behind to leave the total at 77 for four.

Thirty-seven-year-old Cornwall was then left with the tough task of helping his team to post a competitive total. However, as soon as he was getting into a groove, he became Best's third victim, when he was spectacularly caught and bowled by the fiery pacer for an entertaining 49-ball 43.

Cornwall's innings, which included a six and four boundaries, left the score at 106 for six.

Things then got from bad to worse for the Leewards, and they lost their final four wickets for 33 runs, setting Barbados a victory target that many thought was insufficient on what was, at the time, a good batting strip.

Shaky run chase

Barbados, who lost the recent regional Twenty20 title after being in a similar commanding position, did not fare too well at the beginning of their run chase and, after losing Dale Richards, Jason Haynes, Hinds, Johnathan Carter, and Dwayne Smith for 20, zero, 16, one and four respectively, they found themselves at 54 for five in the 17th over.

But thanks to a sixth-wicket partnership between Kirk Edwards, who top scored with a 90-ball 44, and Morris, who made 26, Barbados were able to get back into the match as Cornwall, surprisingly, went to his second-tier bowlers Taylor and Steve Liburd instead of keeping on the pressure by bowling out his top bowlers at the time, Baker and leg-spinner Anthony Martin.

dramatic finish

As the excitement built up, Barbados, who at one time needed 18 runs to win with three wickets in hand, lost their way in a memorable last over by another West Indies discard, fast bowler Gavin Tonge. With Barbados needing one run for victory, he clean bowled Edwards for his well-played innings and forced last man in, Best, into an ill-advised single with a short-pitched delivery, which resulted in Best being run out in dramatic fashion.

"I am lost for words right now," said a breathless Cornwall who, along with his teammates, celebrated wildly on the field following the fall of Best.

"It's what we came down here for, to fight to make our fans back home happy, and it is not only ourselves and Barbados are winners here today, but cricket was a winner. Cricket in the region is alive and well."

Cornwall ended as the tournament's top run-getter with 188 runs, Hinds the top wicket taker with 44 wickets, and the diminutive Carter, best fielder.

SCOREBOARD

LEEWARD ISLANDS

(maximum 50 overs)

M. Hodge b Best 0C. Hughes c Edwards b Roach 0J. Liburd st Morris bHinds 12S. Luburd c Richards b Best 5W. Cornwall c and b Best 43J. Taylor c wk Morris bHinds 8+J. Hamilton c Carter b Best 10J. Athanaze retired out 18G. Tonge c wk Morris b Hinds 7L. Baker c Smith b Benn 4A. Martin not out Extras (b1, lb1, w26, nb2) 30Total (all out, 32.5 overs) 139

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Hodge, 0.4 overs); 2-2 (Hughes, 1.5); 3-17 (S. Liburd, 4.6); 4-77 (J. Liburd, 14.4); 5-87 (Taylor, 18.3); 6-106 (Cornwall, 24.1); 7-107 (+Hamilton, 24.6); 8-124 (Tonge, 28.3); 9-135 (Baker, 31.3)

Bowling: Best 6.5-1-28-4, Roach 5-0-33-1,Hinds 10-2-30-3, Searles 8-0-31-0, Benn 3-0-15-1

BARBADOS

(target: 140 off 50 overs)

D. Richards b Baker 20J. Haynes c wk Hamilton b Martin 0R. Hinds c wk Hamilton b Baker 16K. Edwards b Tonge 44J. Carter c S. Liburd b Baker 1D.R. Smith run out (Cornwall) 4

+C. Morris b Baker 26

J. Searles c wk Hamilton b Tonge 8S. Benn c Martin b Baker 7K. Roach not out 6T. Best run out (+Hamilton) 0Extras (lb4, w2, nb1) 7Total (all out, 38 overs) 139

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Haynes, 1.2 overs); 2-28 (Richards, 6.1); 3-46 (Hinds, 12.2); 4-48 (Carter, 14.5); 5-54 (Smith, 16.4); 6-101 (+Morris, 30.1); 7-124 (Searles, 35.3); 8-131 (Benn, 36.3); 9-139 (Edwards, 37.5)

Bowling: Tonge 6-0-33-2, Martin 9-1-26-1, Baker 10-0-33-5,Cornwall 3-0-13-0, Taylor 7-0-25-0, S. Liburd 3-0-5-0

Result: Match tied

Series: Barbados and Leewards share the title

Toss: Leewards

Man-of-the-Match: L. Baker (Leewards)

Umpires: N. Malcolm, P. Nero