By Bradley Jacks (Sportsmax)- Barbados, Jamaica and Guyana all secured wins in round three of the 2025 West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 Championships in Antigua on Saturday.
Barbados, the defending champions, remained unbeaten thanks to a 42-run win over Trinidad & Tobago at Coolidge.
The Bajans were dismissed for 158 in 44 overs after winning the toss and batting first. Rajeev Parsooram led the way with 41 off 86 balls while Joshua Thompson made a crucial 22* batting at number 10.
Jayden Sadaphal took 3-36 from his 10 overs for T&T while Samuel Stewart, Ethan Ramcharan and Sanjiv Bachu took two wickets, each.
Captain Justin Parris then starred with 4-16 from his 10 overs as Barbados restricted their Trinidadian counterparts to just 116 all out in 36.3 overs.
Jordan Julien and captain Kaiden Pollard led the way with 30 and 22 as Asher Branford and Joshua Thompson provided good support for Parris with 2-6 and 2-25, respectively.
Barbados remain the only team to register wins in the first three rounds and look set to book a spot in the final at the end of round five while, for T&T, this is their second loss in a row after a win in round one.
Elsewhere, Jamaica got their second win in a row with a 35-run win over the Leeward Islands at the Liberta Sports Club.
Tesfah Ward top scored with 88 off 93 balls for the Jamaicans as they posted 240-6 from their 50 overs after being put in to bat by the Leewards.
Ward hit seven fours and a six and got good support from Andrew Lloyd (36), captain Zachary Buchanan (30*), Wayne Plummer (27) and Rajae McGeachy (25).
Wayne Pitman and Ondre Peters took two wickets apiece.
Then, on the back of a fighting 97 from captain J’Quan Athanaze, the Leewards fell short of their target, being bowled out for 205 in 49.3 overs.
Athanaze hit nine fours and a six in his knock as Eckoney Robinson took 4-53 from his 10 overs and Lloyd picked up 3-30 from 9.3.
The day’s other game saw Guyana hammer the Windward Islands by 133 runs at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
Guyana, after being put in to bat by the Windwards, made an imposing 288-7 from their 50 overs thanks to 93* off 129 balls from Lomar Seecharan and 59 off 48 balls from captain Richard Ramdehol.
Reyaz Latif also played an excellent hand down the order with 48 off 54 balls. Jeanille Williams picked up 3-31 from 10 overs to lead the Windwards bowling.
Latif then completed an excellent all-round performance with 6-34 from his 10 overs as the Windwards were dismissed for 155 in 39.4 overs.
Jorden Charles and Alex Armstrong tried their best for the Windwards with 39 and 29, respectively.
Monday’s fourth round will see Barbados facing the Windward Islands at the ARG, the Leeward Islands facing Guyana at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and Jamaica facing Trinidad & Tobago at Coolidge.
