The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket
An inspired spell of fast bowling by left-arm seamer Ian Bradshaw fired Barbados to a 61-run win over Trinidad & Tobago in a low-scoring Red Stripe Bowl semi-final match at Kaiser Oval in Jamaica.
Bradshaw ripped the heart out of the Trinidad top order, finishing with 5 for 22 from 10 overs as Barbados advanced to Sunday's final against Guyana.
Led by a fine all-round effort from left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell, Guyana snatched a miraculous four-run victory over hosts Jamaica to advanced to the finals of the Red Stripe Bowl one-day tournament.
McGarrell, who top-scored with 43 in Guyana's total of 183 from 49.5 overs, was in the thick of things at the end when six Jamaican wickets fell for 29 runs as Guyana completed a stunning victory.
(Trinidad Guardian)
I stood in Pele's footsteps, shook hands with Carlos Alberto and posed for photos with the Samba girls.
Yet, more than anything else, I can't help but think that my recent trip to Rio de Janiero, Brazil, opened my eyes as to how under-prepared we in the West Indies are for the 2007 World Cup.
The West Indies selectors would have been paying keen attention to performances in the Red Stripe Bowl over the past two weeks with a view to finalizing the squad for the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa.
With the batting almost picking itself most of the interest would be on the bowling where nobody seems to be a sure pick.
Vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan turned in a match-winning all-round performance against Antigua as Guyana clinched a semi-final berth in the Red Stripe Bowl with a four-wicket win at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
Sarwan picked up 2 for 29 and Antigua reached 181 all out and then returned with a stroke-filled 64 and Guyana knocked off the target for the loss of six wickets.