A seasonal rain, persistent horrors over the last three weeks came back for the final time to prevent any meaningful play on the reserved day that had been belatedly set aside for the final against Jamaica.

Officials of the sponsors who had ordered that the match go into a second day after no result was possible on Thursday, were also adamant that there were to be no joint champions as was stated in the playing conditions.

It meant that Jamaica, the first placed team in the preliminaries were crowned the sole champions by virtue of winning more matches in the first phase of the competition. Barbados can feel hard done for two reasons.

They would have been psychologically affected that they had to return to the depressing site of the Queens Park Oval yesterday and sadly disappointed that the playing conditions had been altered at the last moment at the instigation of Nortel.

Section 12.3 of the playing conditions states: The winners of the two semifinals will contest the final. If there is a tie, or no result is achieved on the scheduled day of play the two teams will be declared joint winners of the Nortel West Indies Youth Cricket Tournament.

It was a bitter end to the championship that had been hastily arranged following the washout of the first two rounds of matches in the planned three-day competition.

There was sadness in the Barbados camp but manager Darnley Boxill said: The team can feel satisfied with their performance.

We have earned a moral victory. The boys can still lift their heads up, he told the Sun On Saturday.

They have done their best and they have made their country proud.

Boxill reiterated his disappointed about the sudden rule changes.

We were given a certain set of rules and conditions and we played by them.

The position of the final was raised at a meeting and it was clearly said that if there was no result, there would be joint champions.

Boxill said he would more than likely recommend in his managers report that the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) make some representation to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

When the final was eventually called off just before 3 p.m., Barbados set 131 in 45 overs were 17 without loss in the seventh over.

The decision was made more than four hours after the showers started. It was steady rain and it was evident from early that an outfield which had taken plenty of rain over the last few days would be unsuitable for play.

There was some encouragement before the team arrived at the ground since there was no overnight rain, but the field was too damp for a prompt start.

There was a delay of an hour and when Jamaica resumed on 119-6 after 42 overs, Barbados limited the scoring to 11 runs. The Jamaicans were guilty of reckless running between the wickets and three of the last four wickets fell by the run-out route.

Corey Yearwood and Jason Haynes confidently batted through the first half-hour before the rain predictably had the final say.