‘Captain Fantastic’ blasts Bajans out CT20

Call him ‘Captain Fantastic’ and 7000 St. Lucian fans would agree with you, as they sat and saw their favourite son single-handedly knock Barbados out of the regional T20 cricket tournament on Thursday night.

Scores: Barbados 140/7 (20) vs Windwards 142/6 (19).

Chasing 141 for victory, Sammy entered the fray with his side reeling on 57 for five off nine overs. 

Many of the faithful in the stand would have thought that the game was over, but remained seated because their man Sammy was next in. 

And what transpired over the next hour would have left them very pleased indeed. Sammy smashed an entertaining 41 off 28 balls that changed the game and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. 

He clobbered two fours and gave the crowd catching practice on four occasions as he also slammed four sixes.

At 57 for five and partnered by Liam Sebastien, they started to slowly rebuild the innings before blossoming into marvellous hitting. 

The duo added 70 runs off just 52 balls, much to the delight of their fans, who were celebrating in the street leading to the ground after the win.

Sebastien stayed to the end in counting a run-a-ball 33 with four fours as the Windwards kept alive their chances of qualifying for the semifinal play-off. 

Earlier on, choosing to bat first, Barbados produced perhaps their best showing of the tournament as Kyle Mayers struck 37 and Shamarh Brooks, 21, to raise a decent total of 140 for seven off 20 overs. 

Off-spinner Shane Shillingford (2-29) and medium pacer Sammy (2-33) finished with two wickets apiece.

Captain Dwayne Smith’s wretched form continued at the top of the order as he notched his fifth straight single-digit score when he top-edged Sammy to Delorn Johnson at backward square for three at eight for one in the third over.

His opening partner, Justin Brathwaite, promised much when he cleared the ropes at midwicket with Sammy’s next delivery but skied the first ball of the West Indies captain’s next over to Johnson Charles at mid-on to depart for ten at 19 for two.

Shane Dowrich then stroked 20 from 19 balls and Roston Chase, 18 from 22, repairing the damage in a careful 31-run, third-wicket stand-off 32 deliveries.

Rocking at 69 for four in the 12th over, Barbados required something special and got it courtesy of a 51-run, fifth-wicket stand off 29 balls between Mayers and Brooks. 

Striking the ball cleanly, the left-handed Mayers smashed four sixes—mostly straight hits—in his 21-ball knock while Brooks struck a four and a massive straigh­t 19 balls at the crease. —

Scoreboard

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BARBADOS
J Brathwaite c Charles b Sammy    10
D Smith c Johnson b Sammy    3
R Chase hit wkt b Mathurin    18
+S Dowrich c & b Charles    20
S Brooks c Sammy b Shillingford    21
K Mayers c Charles b Shillingford    37
A Nurse not out    15
C Brathwaite c wkp James b Johnson    4
Extras (w12)    12
TOTAL (7 wkts, 20 overs)    140
Did not bat: S Benn, T Best, J Searles.
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Smith, 2.3 overs), 2-19 (J Brathwaite, 4.1), 3-50 (Dowrich, 9.3), 4-69 (Chase, 11.5), 5-120 (Mayers, 16.4), 6-134 (Brooks, 18.1), 7-140 (C Brathwaite, 20)
Bowling: Sammy 4-0-33-2 (w4), Mathurin 4-0-20-1 (w1), Johnson 4-0-32-1 (w1), Shillingford 4-0-29-2, Sebastien 3-0-21-0 (w2), Charles 1-0-5-1 (w1).

WINDWARDS
J Charles run out    8
M Bascombe c Searles b C Brathwaite    1
A Fletcher c & b Smith    13
D Smith c Searles b Smith    19
K Lesporis c wkp Dowrich b Smith    8
L Sebastien not out    33
D Sammy b Searles    41
+L James not out    8
Extras (lb8, w3)    11
TOTAL (6 wkts, 19 overs)    142
Did not bat: D Johnson, S Shillingford, G Mathurin.
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Bascombe, 1.2 overs), 2-18 (Charles, 3.4), 3-25 (Fletcher, 4.5), 4-43 (Lesporis, 6.4), 5-57 (Smith, 8.5), 6-127 (Sammy, 17.3)
Bowling: Best 3-0-25-0 (w2), C Brathwaite 3-0-19-1, Smith 4-0-27-3, Nurse 4-0-18-0, Benn 3-0-18-0, Searles 2-0-27-1.
Result: Windwards won by four wickets.
Points: Windwards 4, Barbados 0.
Man-of-the-Match: Darren Sammy.
Toss: Barbados.