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Bajans in final

Barbados (185-7) defeated Guyana (184-9) by three wickets.

Ryan Hinds one more time.

That's what it came down to yesterday as Barbados ousted Guyana in the Nortel Networks West Indies Under-19 Limited Overs semifinal.

Hinds, the captain, again pulled his side out of difficulty and led them to a place in tomorrow's final against defending champs Jamaica at Kensington Oval.

It gives the Bajans a chance to do the first Nortel double following their triumph in the three-day competition earlier this week.

The well-built left-hander showed why he is seen as a future West Indies player. Hinds made 57 off just 70 balls with four boundaries and had a worthy ally in Kurt Wilkinson, whose 32 not out helped Hinds add 61 for the sixth wicket and later take Barbados home.

He entered at 64 for two, after openers Jason Haynes and Jason Parris perished by off-spinner Orvin Mangru. Barbados slipped to the uncertainty of 100 for five as Dwayne Smith, Rohan Nurse and Vonrick Nurse fell within the next ten overs.

Hinds watched on, but always seemed focused on seeing his side to the final.

Initially sedate as he tried to consolidate, the 18-year-old eventually bloomed with some powerful strokes.

None was better than a classic inside-out boundary off slow bowler Kevin Basil, which had initially looked no more than a push.

Wilkinson again provided the perfect foil and the only boundary in his 52-ball knock was a spectacular extra-cover drive which beat three fielders to the fence.

That Hinds fell to a top-edge swing with 24 needed meant nothing to the state of the game, as he had already done his job. Allrounder Callitos Lopez had a boundary in his eight, and then left-hander Sulieman Benn performed the final rites with a spanking straight drive on the stroke of 4:30 p.m.

Earlier it was Benn, with his left-arm spin, and off-spinner Ryan Austin, who put on the brakes after Guyana had made batting look easy against the seamers.

Benn bagged two for 29 as the Guyanese added just 67 runs in the last 20 overs while losing eight wickets.

Austin took three for 34 off his allotment and together with Benn slowed the tempo.

Hinds had earlier done a good job by taking the key wicket of Narsingh Deonarine for 28 off 32 balls, while Lopez bowled a fine final over allowing just three runs.