At Inshan Ali Park, Barbados overwhelmed the Windward Islands by 107 runs, condemning their opponents to a second straight defeat.
Sent in to bat, the Bajans built steadily through opener Jordan Graham (45) and Raphael Lovell (47), though both fell just shy of half-centuries. Their early platform of 90 for one crumbled into a precarious 115 for five before Lovell combined with Justin Parris (33) in an 83-run partnership that carried the total to a competitive 220.
Elran Glasgow led the Windwards’ attack with 3-29, while Cody Fontinelle (2-37), Aravinda Bishop (2-39), and Tyler Venner (2-43) chipped in.
Chasing 221, the Windwards started promisingly at 60 for one but collapsed spectacularly, losing their last nine wickets for just 53 runs. Medium pacer Jahidi Hinds ripped through the middle order with a devastating 4-8, while Parris capped his fine all-round display by taking 2-9.
Francis and Jones power Leewards past Guyana
At Gilbert Park, a commanding opening stand between skipper Tanez Francis and Amoree Jones ensured the Leeward Islands secured a 55-run victory over Guyana under the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern method.
Francis crafted a fluent 74 from 99 balls, while Jones added 52 from 74 deliveries in a partnership worth 110 for the first wicket. Despite a mid-innings wobble sparked by Guyanese seamer Navendra Sankar (3-40), Hosea Roberts’ unbeaten 34 and Eirette Richards’ supporting 21 pushed the total to 227 for six.
Rain interruptions revised Guyana’s target to 218 from 45 overs, and their reply began confidently with Parmeshwar Ram’s 35 guiding them to 66 for one. However, their innings unraveled as Jathan Edward (3-33) and Kunal Tilokani (2-32) ripped through the middle order, reducing them to 135 for seven. Emmanuel Lewis fought with 26, but the chase petered out well short.
Hosts T&T outclass Jamaica with balanced effort
At the National Cricket Centre, Trinidad and Tobago completed a comfortable 91-run win over Jamaica, also under the DLS method.
Batting first after being sent in, T&T compiled 232 for nine in their rain-reduced 49 overs. Opener Saleem Khan top-scored with 48, supported by Zackary Stewart (34), Amrit Pittiman (27 not out), Renaldo Fournillier (23), and Christiano Ramanan (21). Jamaica’s attack was spearheaded by Ryan Littleton (3-29), with Adrian Silvera (2-40) and Andrew Lloyd (2-46) chipping in.
Jamaica’s response faltered badly. Though Odane Binns (42) and Demarco Scott (41) offered resistance, their dismissals triggered a collapse that saw the visitors bundled out for 141 in 35.3 overs. Only one other batter reached double figures.
T&T’s bowlers shared the spoils in a disciplined display — Daron Dhanraj (3-28) was the pick, while Roberto Badree (2-12), Ra’ed Ali Khan (2-18), and Daniel Holder (2-41) all struck twice.
Statement of strength
The latest round of the CWI Rising Stars Under-17 Men’s 50-over Championship reinforced the dominance of Barbados, the Leeward Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago, each producing convincing wins that highlighted depth, discipline, and a growing maturity in their young squads. With the competition heating up, their rivals must now regroup quickly to halt the momentum of the tournament’s frontrunners.
