BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – USA-1 installed themselves as heavy favourites to capture the 2025 Rising Stars Men’s 50-over Championship by thrashing defending champions Barbados in a clash of unbeaten teams on Tuesday.
What was expected to be a tightly contested affair ended up being a lopsided affair as USA-1 won by a mammoth 219 runs.
In other results, Windward Islands strolled to victory over Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana edged the Leeward Islands, while Jamaica emerged victorious over USA-2 in their rain-affected contest.
At St Mary’s Park: USA-1 are on the verge of capturing their maiden Rising Stars Men’s title after comprehensively dispatching the defending champions in their top-of-the-table clash.
Utkarsh Srivastava continued his impressive form in the tournament, scoring a spectacular 124, while Sahil Garg made 85, to guide the USA to a competitive 305 for eight from their 50 overs.
Sabrish Prasad then grabbed 5-14, while Srivastava completed a solid all-around effort by collecting two wickets, as USA bowled out Barbados for a paltry 89 in 25.5 overs, to register their fifth successive victory.
Barbados lost danger men Zachary Carter and captain Joshua Dorne for one and nine respectively, before Prasad ran through the middle order by snaring the scalps of Kevion Newton for two, Gadson Bowens for six and Raphael Lovell, to see them collapse from 56 for two to 87 for seven.
Earlier, Srivastava, who faced 124 balls and hit 11 fours and three sixes, and Garg, who struck seven fours and one six in the 88 balls he faced, shared a 151-run partnership for the second wicket to put the USA in control.
And when Garg fell to leave the score 183 for two in the 30th over, Srivastava dominated a 51-run partnership with Adnit Jhamb, who made 14.
It helped the USA’s sterling batting effort overshadow a five-wicket haul by Barbadian pacer Shaquan Belle, who took 5-53, while Zachary Carter finished with 2-54.
At St Paul’s Sports Complex: Opener Stephan Pascal struck a defiant century as the Windward Islands triumphed over Trinidad and Tobago by six wickets.
Pascal slammed 113 from 121 balls, with eight fours and six sixes, as the Windward Islands chased down T&T’s total of 188 for nine, finishing on 191 for four in 43.3 overs.
Pascal added 115 runs for the second wicket with Earsinho Fontaine, who made 41, to put their side in a comfortable position to push for victory.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, T&T never fully recovered from a disastrous start, despite a valiant effort by their lower order.
Kirt Murray grabbed four wickets to help reduce T&T to 52 for six, but Abdul-Raheem Toppin scored 77 from 88 balls with four sixes and three fours, to help propel them to their eventual total.
Murray was the best bowler for the Windward Islands with 4-20.
SUMMARISED SCORES
At St Mary’s Park: USA-1 defeated Barbados by 219 runs.
USA-1 305-8 in 50 overs (Utkarsh Srivastava 124, Sahil Garg 85, Arjun Mahesh 25, Amrinder Gill 21, Shiv Shani 15, Adnit Jhamb 14; Shaquan Belle 5-53, Zachary Carter 2-54) vs BARBADOS 89 in 25.5 overs (Micah Greenidge 35; Sabrish Prasad 5-14, Utkarsh Srivastava 2-12).
At St Paul’s Sports Complex: Windward Islands defeated Trinidad & Tobago by six wickets.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 188-9 in 50 overs (Abdul-Raheem Toppin 77, Zachary Madray 17, Aadian Racha 14, Aneal Rooplal 12 not out, Cristian Rampersaud 12, Riyaad Mohammed 12; Kirt Murray 4-20) vs WINDWARD ISLANDS 191-4 in 41.3 overs (Stephan Pascal 113, Earsinho Fontaine 41, Lluvio Charles 15 not out; Aneal Rooplal 2-29).
At Conaree Sports Club: Guyana defeated Leeward Islands by two wickets.
LEEWARD ISLANDS 233 in 47.2 overs (De-Antre Drew 42, Devanand Singh 41, Kunal Tilokani 38, Carlton Pluck 28, Amoree Jones 15, Matthew Miller 11, Eirette Richards 11; Romario Ramdehol 3-22, Golcharran Chulai 3-39, Jonathan van Lange 2-49) vs GUYANA 234-8 in 49.1 overs (Rampersaud Ramnauth 48, Jonathan van Lange 47, Afraz Ali Budhoo 34, Romeo Deonarine 23, Shamar Apple 18 not out, Riyad Latiff 12, Salim Khan 11, Parmeshwar Ram 11; Matthew Miller 3-51, Isra-el Morton 2-39, Tanez Francis 2-40).
At Elquemedo Willett Park: Jamaica defeated USA-2 by eight wickets via the DLS method.
USA-2 147-9 in 43 overs (Ansh Bhoje 34, Dharshan Haribabu 29, Amogh Arepally 15, Shawn Jindal 15, Aryan Tummala 12, Ayush Patel 10 not out; Vitel Lawes 4-23, Kev’Aundre Virgo 2-13, Dantae Clark 2-31) vs JAMAICA 114-2 in 14.3 overs (Brian Barnes 50 not out, Tyriek Bryan 27, Kev’Aundre Virgo 13; Muzamil Abdul Rahim Zai 2-29).
(CMC)
