ST JOHN’S – The Windward Islands Volcanoes are the new Regional One-Day cricket champions.
They defeated last year’s winners Barbados Pride by three wickets in the day-night final of the West Indies Super50 Cricket Festival at the Coolidge Cricket Ground here Saturday night.
Chasing Barbados Pride’s total of 232 for nine in 50 overs in the , the Volcanoes made 236 for seven in 49.3 overs to win with three balls to spare.
West Indies’ Under-19 batsman Alick Athanaze was their unlikely hero, hitting the winning boundary in the final over from Shamar Springer to finish on 23 not out off 23 balls.
He shared a match-winning unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 31 runs with captain Shane Shillingford, who made seven not out.
The Volcanoes had earlier lost Devon Smith for 29, brilliantly caught by Shamar Springer off left-arm seamer Dominic Drakes, who ended with three wickets for 38 runs in his ten overs.
Johnson Charles was bowled by medium pacer Jonathan Carter for 16 while Kirk Edwards was run out for 10, leaving the Volcanoes on 72 for three.
But Kavem Hodge (39) and Roland Cato (54 off 64 balls with four fours and two sixes) featured in a vital fourth wicket stand of 80 runs.
Hodge was then caught down the leg side by wicket-keeper Tevyn Walcott off Drakes and Cato followed, trapped leg before wicket by Harding.
Ryan John was caught by Springer inside the mid-wicket boundary while Kyle Mayers was bowled by Pride’s captain Kraigg Brathwaite for 32.
Carter bowled tidily, taking one for 25 in ten overs of medium pace.
Earlier, Carter hit eight fours and a six in the top score of 80 off 108 balls after Barbados Pride won the toss and batted.
The inform Roston Chase made 44 off 57 balls while pushing his aggregate to a tournament-high 558 runs.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite also contributed 30 while Springer made 22 and wicket-keeper Tevyn Walcott got 18 not out after featuring in a ninth-wicket stand of 35 runs with Drakes, who made 11.
Fast bowler Obed McCoy grabbed two wickets for 29 runs in five overs while left-arm spinner Larry Edward and Volcanoes’ captain Shane Shillingford also captured two wickets each for 41 and 44 runs respectively. (EZS)