Barbados Pride clinched the CG United Super50 Cup title by defeating Trinidad and Tobago Red Force by nine wickets in a low-scoring final at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.
Just when it mattered the most, batting first, the T&T team failed to impress as they were dismissed for an insufficient 168 from 42.3 overs.
Barbados exploited Red Force’s struggles by reaching 169/1 in just 29.3 overs, as captain Kyle Mayers led with an unbeaten 89, securing the team’s first Super50 Cup since 2017.
Sent in to bat, T&T opener Tion Webster struck fast bowler Akeem Jordan for two boundaries in the opening over, but fellow opener Cephas Cooper was brilliantly stumped by wicket-keeper Leniko Boucher off the first ball of the second over without scoring a run.
Amir Jangoo (20) joined Webster, but Bajan off-spinner Kemar Smith got the wicket of Jangoo by having the left-hander edge into Boucher’s gloves, to send Red Force 46/2 after ten overs.
Spells from Mayers, Jones, and Joshua Bishop, between the 13th and 19th overs, restricted Webster and new batsman Jason Mohammed to just 19 runs between the two.
Mohammed was out on 12 as Bishop had him play into the hands of Kraigg Brathwaite.
At 75/3, Yannic Cariah and Webster added nine more runs before Bishop bowled Webster (43) between bat and pad.
Skipper Da Silva (nine) was expected to bring some stability in Red Force innings, but was brilliantly caught and bowled by Dominic Drakes.
Navin Bidaisee was trapped in front of his stumps for five runs before Jyd Goolie (13) came to the crease, slamming Drakes for three consecutive fours, just before being dismissed leg-before-wicket.
At the 35-over break, Red Force were in trouble at 139/7 with Cariah and Terrance Hinds tasked with breathing new life into the innings at the resumption. Hinds (12) pulled Bishop for a maximum, but two overs later, Bishop had him caught by Smith.
Jeshua James only scored two runs, as Red Force slumped to 164/9, before Cariah was last out (35), bowled by Dominic Drakes, all out for 168 from 42.3 overs.
Bishop finished with 4/27 while Drakes bagged 4/34 for Pride.
In reply, Pride openers Mayers and Boucher showed no mercy, and despite Red Force’s Terrance Hinds starting with a maiden, he went for 15 in the third over as Boucher slashed back-to-back fours before Mayers closed it off with a huge six.
Left-arm spinner Ricky Jaipaul was also hit for consecutive boundaries in the next over by Boucher.
Mayers then brought up his seventh List A half-century with back-to-back sixes off Goolie in the 13th over. After 15 overs, Barbados were at 121 without loss.
Cariah entered the attack and went for a maiden in the 16th, before Hinds made a late break-through, by getting Boucher out, caught by Joshua James on his ball-a-run 50, inclusive of nine fours and one six.
Zachary McCaskie joined Mayers, and both batted patiently, needing just 35 runs from 29.4 overs, with nine wickets in hand; however, rain forced a 25-minute stoppage.
When play resumed, Mayers (89 not out) and McCaskie (19 not out) slowly took them over the line to 169/1.
