If no-one knew it before, this is the sort of game which readily indicates the state of cricket in the West Indies. In absolutely perfect conditions at a surprisingly well turned-out (for late October) Sabina Park, one team, the Leeward Islands, made only 169 in their 50 overs, yet managed to make the other struggle tremendously. The team batting second, Barbados, finally put in such an atrocious batting display that they lost the game by 13 runs, managing just 156 all out in 48 overs.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Leeward Islands have reached the final of this competition. Last year, they lost to Jamaica. On the other hand, this is the third consecutive time that Barbados has reached the semi-final, only to fall at that hurdle.

While the latter stages of the game were very exciting for the few spectators, with Barbados eventually needing 25 from the last 24 deliveries, the scary thing about this result was that no fewer than thirteen players, between both teams, had played Test or One Day Cricket for the senior West Indies cricket team. Surely the cricket should have been of a higher standard.

Leeward Islands Innings

Barbados's captain, Sherwin Campbell, won the toss and gave the Leeward Islands first strike on a pitch that promised some bounce and pace, but which also suited the batsmen better.

Stuart Williams, the former West Indian opener, and Wilden Cornwall, started things for the Leeward Islands, but did not seem to want to "light things up." They took nearly seven overs, bowled by recent West Indian tourist, Corey Collymore and former West Indies Under-19 captain, Ian Bradshaw, to get to 15. Then, as Cornwall drove to cover, Williams tore down the wicket for a non-existent single, and was easily run out by Antonio Mayers for two; Leeward Islands 15-1.

In the next over, Sylvester Joseph, a West Indies Youth and senior West Indies ODI player of whom much is expected in the future, had not scored when he was wonderfully deceived by Bradshaw's slower ball, the juicy edge being snapped up by the West Indies reserve wicket-keeper for the Australian tour, Courtney Browne. Joseph out for nought; Leeward Islands 16-2.

Dave Joseph, who played Test cricket for the West Indies as recently as 1999 against Australia, was also soon dismissed, for two, in the 15th over, when he was deceived by Hendy Bryan, who has played One-Day Internationals for the West Indies, and caught again by Browne; the Leeward Islands 28-3 from 15 overs.

That became 54-4 in over 21, when Renako Morton, a young man on the threshold of West Indies representative cricket, was also caught behind from Bryan's bowling. Morton drove at Bryan and paid the price of not being in a position to do so. He was gone for 16.

In the 26th over, it was 72-5 when Keith Arthurton, as recently as 1998 a senior West Indian player, was bamboozled by off spinner Ryan Hurley, and was nicely stumped by Browne, who was having a wonderful day. Arthurton out for 12.

The Leeward Islands innings was in a further shambles when Wilden Cornwall, after a patient 28, which lasted 93 balls, essayed a drive at Hendy Bryan and lost his middle and leg stumps. Leeward Islands 85-6 in over 29.

Some semblance of normality came back to the Leeward Islands innings when Carl Tuckett, another who might be as a West Indies one-day player, came in to join his captain, and present West Indies wicket-keeper, Ridley Jacobs. With some intelligent cricket, mixed with some powerfully struck and well-executed strokes, especially from Jacobs, the next Leeward Islands wicket did not fall until the score had reached 154 in over 45.

Tuckett and Jacobs had put on 69 in 16 overs when Tuckett tried to hit left-arm orthodox leg-spinner Ryan Hinds out of the ground, only to be caught by Hendy Bryan at deep backward square-leg. He had made a very valuable 39.

Barbados then brought themselves back fully into the game, allowing only 15 runs in the last five overs, while taking the remaining three wickets. Anthony Lake drove at Ian Bradshaw, only to be well caught and bowled for three. Then Jacobs, trying to "steal" the bowling, had a mix-up with new West Indies fast bowler, Kerry Jeremy, Ryan Hinds effecting the run-out, but not before Jacobs had managed the highest score in the innings, 44. The innings ended with two balls to spare when Goldwyn Prince was bowled by Collymore for nought, the Leeward Islands finally succumbing for 169.

The best bowling for Barbados came from Hendy Bryan, who took 3-25 from his 10 overs.

Barbados Innings

With a modest 170 to get in 50 overs, at a simple - or so it should have been - 3.4 runs per over, Barbados stumbled and then fell just when the tape loomed.

Barbados seemed to want to emulate the Leeward Islands' inept batting display. With Sherwin Campbell and Philo Wallace, both Test opening batsmen, starting the innings, fireworks were expected. They did not materialize.

With only five runs on the total, all to Wallace, he hit the ball to cover and called Campbell for a quick run which was suicidal. Renako Morton hit the non-striker's stumps directly with Wallace well short of his ground; Barbados 5-1 in over number two.

Campbell looked ill at ease to the very confident and accurate Kerry Jeremy and Goldwin Prince, and had managed only 19 from the first 15 overs when he slashed at Jeremy and was easily caught by wicket-keeper Jacobs. Barbados 47-2 in 15 overs.

Five overs later it was 69-3 when Dale Richards, a promising young right-hander, also took on the arm of Morton, fielding at short third man this time, and lost. Morton again hit the stumps directly to effect the run out. Richards out for 31, Barbados 69-3 in 20 overs, but keeping up with the rate required.

In over 23, Floyd Reifer, who last played for the West Indies in 1998 against South Africa, flashed at Carl Tuckett and was nicely held by Jacobs, diving to his right. Reifer out for seven; Barbados 74-4.

The middle order then disintegrated. From 74-4 in over 23, they wobbled to 113-9 in over 35 as the Leeward islands benefited from some thoughtless cricket.

Courtney Browne pulled across a straight ball from Keith Arthurton and was lbw for in the 28th over: 88-5. It was 97-6 when Ryan Hurley, at the non-striker's end, tried to get an audacious single after wicket-keeper Jacobs had dropped Ryan Hinds. Jacobs simply lobbed the ball to the non-striker's end and completed the comedy of errors. Hurley out for six.

In the same over, Ian Bradshaw played inside a good ball from the surprisingly accurate Wilden Cornwall, also out lbw for 0; Barbados 100-7 in over 31. Hendy Bryan then swiped at Cornwall, only to be caught by Jacobs for one; Barbados 102-8 in 33 overs. The Leeward Islands looked as if they would pull off an unlikely victory.

Antonio Mayers was caught by Jacobs off Cornwall for 6, making the score 113-9 in over 35. Barbados, to all intents and purposes, were dead. The "fat lady' though, while tuning up, did not sing immediately.

In a very spirited effort, showing their more illustrious and senior team-mates how it should be done, Ryan Hinds, a 19-year-old who has the potential to captain the West Indies in the future, and Corey Collymore parried everything thrown at them.

Taking the score along, tantalizing their team-mates and supporters as they tried desperately to win from the dark. In the end, it was just too much. Needing 14 from the final nine deliveries, Hinds finally tried a swipe too many, and was bowled by Goldwyn Prince for a well-made 44; Barbados all out for 156.

Barbados's batsmen had lost a game, by 13 runs, which their bowlers had put them in a position to win. Collymore was left not out on 12. The best Leeward Islands bowler was the unheralded Wilden Cornwall, with 3-25 from his 10 overs.

The Leeward Islands will now play in the final on Sunday against the winners of Saturday's semifinal between Jamaica and the Windward Islands.

© CricInfo Ltd 2000