By CMC.
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad - Ashley Nurse wrecked Leeward Islands with a six wicket haul that set the stage for Barbados to march into the finals of the NAGICO Super50 tournament at the Queen’s Park oval here on Monday.
The Bajans clinched a four wicket victory over the unfancied Leeward Islands outfit but not before surviving a persistent bowling counter attack that threatened to derail their run chase.
Kraigg Brathwaite cracked an unbeaten 29 and batted through the innings to lead Barbados through some rocky phases and then safety at 104 for six after Nurse’s assault which saw the Leewards crashing to 103 all out.
Openers Kieran Powell top scored with 34 and Montcin Hodge 14, both scoring slowly, to give the Leewards an encouraging 46 run stand.
But once Dwayne Smith got the breakthrough by having Hodge caught, a batting slide begun which remained unchecked.
Powell soon followed trapped lbw to Nurse while Devon Thomas offered some resistance before he was trapped lbw to Sulieman Benn for 17.
The only other batman to cross into double figures was Jahmar Hamilton who was lbw to Nurse for 10.
Nurse finished with a haul of six for 29 from 10 overs including two maiden overs while Benn picked up two for 15.
Barbados got off to a poor start after losing Dwayne Smith in the second over with six runs on the board.
But a 45 run second wicket partnership between Brathwaite and Rashidi Boucher kept them on course to a semi-final spot.
Boucher who struck three fours departed for 25 as medium pacer Lionel Baker and spinner Anthony Martin led a fight-back to upset Barbados’s plans.
Martin and Baker picked up two wickets each to curtail the run flow as wickets were falling nearly after every ten runs scored.
Brathwaite maintained composure hitting just a boundary to be undefeated on 29 at the end.
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Summary Scores:
Leeward Islands Innings: 103 All Out (39.5 Overs). Kieran Powell 27, Devon Thomas 17, Montcin Hodge 14, Jahmar Hamilton 10; Ashley Nurse 10-2-29-6, Suliemann Benn 8.5-2-15-2, Dwayne Smith 5-1-10-1, Jason Holder 5-0-13-0.
Barbados Innings: 104/6 (34.5 Overs). Kraigg Brathwaite 29, Rashidi Boucher 25, Kevin Stoute 13, Carlos Brathwaite 12; Anthony Martin 10-5-8-2, Kelbert Walters 4-1-10-2, Lionel Baker 7.5-0-41-2, Justin Athanaze 10-2-17-0.
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Leeward Islands
M Hodge c Nurse b Smith 14
K Powell* LBW Nurse 34
M Richards c Dowrich b Nurse 7
S Joseph run out Holder 0
D Thomas+ LBW Benn 17
J Hamilton LBW Nurse 10
H Walsh st Dowrich b Nurse 4
J Athanaze b Nurse 0
L Baker LBW Benn 2
K Walters c Stoute b Benn 0
A Martin not out 0
Total: 103 All Out (39.5 Overs)
Extras: (14WD, 1LB) 15
Fall of Wickets: 1-46, 2-59, 3-59, 4-74, 5-92, 6-100, 7-100, 8-100, 9-102, 10-103.
Barbados Bowling: J Holder 5-0-13-0, F Edwards 4-0-14-0, C Brathwaite 5-0-15-0, D Smith 5-1-10-1, K Stoute 2-0-6-0, A Nurse 10-2-29-6, S Benn 8.5-2-15-2.
Barbados (Target; 104)
D Smith b Walters 5
Kraigg Brathwaite not out 29
R Boucher LBW Martin 25
J Carter LBW Martin 3
K Stoute LBW Baker 13
S Dowrich c Thomas b Baker 2
Carlos Brathwaite b Walters 12
A Nurse not out 4
Total: 104/6 (34.5 Overs)
Extras: (5WD, 7LB) 12
Did not Bat: S Benn, F Edwards, J Holder.
Fall of Wickets: 1-6, 2-51, 3-61, 4-74, 5-83, 6-98
Leeward Islands Bowling: L Baker 7.5-0-41-2, K Walters 4-1-10-2, J Athanaze 10-2-17-0, A Martin 10-5-8-2, H Walsh 2-0-15-0, M Richards 1-0-7-0.
Result: Barbados won by 4 wickets
Man of the Match: Ashley Nurse (Barbados)
Umpires: Zahid Bassarath, Patrick Gustard
TV Umpire: Leslie Reifer
4th Official: Kellman Kowlessar
Match Referee: Rawle Richards
By CMC.