CRICKET WEST INDIES

Brathwaite, the only player in the tournament with Test experience, led from the front as the Bajans won the six-team competition with a perfect record of five wins to end on 26.8 points.

 

The 18-year-old made 297 runs in five innings at an average of 99 including three half-centuries.  He featured in the two biggest partnerships of the tournament – adding 132 for the second wicket with Shai Hope against Jamaica and 150 for the first wicket with Jonathan Drakes against Trinidad and Tobago.

 

Before the tournament Brathwaite was not known for his tight off-spin bowling, but he proved his worth with the ball in the PowerPlay overs and was rewarded with nine wickets at 11.88 each to be the joint third highest wicket-taker.

 

Following Brathwaite in the batting was Sunil Ambris, the Windward Islands wicket-keeper, who made 217 runs at 43.4 per innings, with a top score of 98 against T&T. Kieron Joseph, the small T&T opener made 167 runs at 33.4 per innings with a best of 38. Next in line was Jamaica’s Brian Gayle with 156 runs at 39 per innings. His superb match-winning 100 not out against Windwards was the only century. Rounding off the Top 5 was Guyanese pinch-hitter Joemal LeFleur, with 134 at 33.5 per innings including two half-centuries.

 

The bowling was led by Amir Khan, the Guyana leg-spinner, who took 11 wickets at 11.7 each, with best figures of 4-32. Behind him was Barbados off-spinner Chaim Holder with 10 at 18.9 each, with best of 4-29.

 

Three bowlers ended with nine wickets: Brathwaite; left-arm spinner Jovan Ali of T&T (at 14.6 each with best of 5-35) and another left-arm spinner Larry Edward of Windwards (at 19.33 with best of 4-33)

 

The leading fast bowler was Justin Greaves of Barbados, who took eight wickets at 15 apiece. He was the only pacer with a five-wicket haul – a match-winning 5-37 against T&T. He was the most successful pacer in the three-day tournament.