Buoyed by the success of a challenging run chase against Jamaica, the Windward Islands go into today’s Regional Super50 final against an equally confident Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC).
The contest, which starts at 2:30 pm at Kensington Oval, presents a stern test for two teams that defied the odds to qualify for the championship match.
Windwards have been led by their most experienced players. They have the tournament’s two leading batsmen – Andre Fletcher has 307 runs from seven innings and Devon Smith has scored 281 runs at an average of 46.83.
They also have the leading bowler in Shane Shillingford. He has been almost unplayable with 14 wickets at 10.20 runs apiece and an economy rate of just 2.8 runs an over.
For a team that focuses on development, the CCC can be pleased with the performance of 19-year-old opener Anthony Alleyne who was the mainstay of the batting in the semi-final.
He is also the leading scorer for his team with 157 runs in just two matches and is followed closely by Ramon Reifer on 156.
The 21-year-old Reifer’s left-arm medium pace bowling has earned him 11 wickets, the most in his team and the third highest in the tournament.
“From the first ball, we will be rearing to go with our team plans and put everything forward and leave everything out on the field,” Windwards captain Liam Sebastien said just after his side completed a five-wicket win over Jamaica in the semi-finals.
“It is a first final for this group of guys. We have been getting to semi-finals and always losing so now we have got a step further but we don’t want to stop here. We want to win the competition.
“We are playing at Kensington. I think there is no better place to do it. We are hoping we can lift the trophy but having said that we are not going to play against ourselves.
“We have to play against CCC and we have to start from ball one with the plans that we have. If we underestimate CCC they obviously would get on top of us,” Sebastien said.
After making light work of Trinidad and Tobago in the first semi-final, CCC’s confidence seems justified as they go after their first regional title.
The students dismissed their more celebrated opponents for just 92 to pull off a comprehensive win by 140 runs.
“We have a bunch of guys who really want to win and we put in the effort so they think we deserve to be here, and once we continue to play good cricket I think we can go all the way,” CCC captain Kyle Corbin said.
“We have branded this thing in that we play the CCC style of cricket and that has worked well for us so far. Once we can continue to do that we should play good cricket.
“We don’t have what people will call ‘stars’, but we are very focused on fitness, preparation and readiness for every match and every situation we find ourselves in every match.
“To be in the grand final at the historic Kensington Oval is a ‘big thing’ for everyone in the team – the players, the support staff, as well as our fans. We will play it how we know and look to stick to our plans.”
The match, like the semi-finals, will be televised on ESPN.