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The level of celebration at Kensington Oval yesterday was not in keeping with the margin of victory.

With almost every single team member parading his blue national cap for most of the day, Barbados completed the most crushing win in this season's Busta Series, inside three days against West Indies 'B'.

Happenings at other grounds around the Caribbean, however, ensured the dethroned Cup champions would not advance to the semifinals of the International Shield.

Barbados' emphatic triumph, their third win of the season, carried them to 39 points, but they would have needed the Windward Islands to pick up first innings points against Trinidad and Tobago in a drawn match at Guaracara Park.

The Windwards, in pursuit of an imposing 380, fought gallantly but were dismissed for 342 about an hour before Barbados recorded their victory. However, Barbados skipper Sherwin Campbell and the rest of the management team could take some satisfaction from the development of some of their newer players.

Among them was fast bowler Tino Best, whose five-wicket haul rocked the West Indies 'B' team's batting after lunch and paved the way for the win that was completed 27 minutes after tea.

We didn't win the tournament, but a number of the guys have come on. It is a good learning experience for the youngsters and I hope they can benefit from it, Campbell said.

He identifed Best, Sulieman Benn, Kurt Wilkinson and Dwayne Smith among those who made strides. The last two, along with vice-captain Ryan Hinds, scored maiden first-class centuries in the last two matches.

This is a good sign for Barbados' cricket, Campbell said.

Kurt has been knocking at the door for a hundred for a while. It is good to see that he ended the season with a hundred.

Ryan Hinds has been playing for a while and it's also good that he got a hundred at the end of the tournament.

Having enforced the follow-on in the morning after gaining a massive first innings lead of 364, Barbados were just as efficient in rolling over the West Indies 'B' in their second innings in spite of a couple of missed chance towards the end.

I am happy we have won the game. The guys played very well today. We came out and we bowled well, Campbell said.

Best's omission from the team for the previous two matches had triggered a huge outcry in certain quarters, largely because of the favourable impression he created in the early part of the season.

Given his chance here only because of injury to Ian Bradshaw, he worked up a storm after lunch with an inspired spell in which he claimed five wickets in the space of 24 balls.

He was, as usual, full of zest, constantly bounding in with purpose. He conceded 12 runs in the first over after lunch, but it made no difference to his spirit. Once he claimed his first scalp, Shane Jeffers, by way of a juggled return catch, there was no stopping the 20-year-old.

Best was typically pacy, but, more importantly, his direction was impeccable and his length was mainly a fullish one. This led to the three successive lbw verdicts. Donovan Pagon gave the impression he might have snicked a ball which cannoned onto his boot, but there was no doubt about Patrick Browne and Roland Holder.

Browne, a promising wicket-keeper/batsman, completed a miserable match with the bat when a break-back pinned him on the back foot, while Holder, for the second time in successive days, was victim to a cross-batted stroke.

The West Indies 'B' team captain seemed stunned at umpire Billy Doctrove's decision before walking off the ground for what might have been his last first-class innings.

Holder went for a duck, the same score he made on his first-class debut at the ground 16 years ago.

A fired-up Best then induced Vishal Arjune into snicking a low catch to the 'keeper to leave the West Indies 'B' 58 for six. Half-hour earlier, they were 43 for one.

There was brief resistance in a seventh-wicket stand that lasted an hour, but by then, it was obvious the match would end with ample time remaining on the penultimate day.

Earlier, West Indies 'B' managed to prolong their first innings after resuming on 150 for nine, thanks to some aggression from Callitos Lopez and defiance from Reon Griffith.

They survived for just under an hour and Barbados needed a direct throw from Best at mid-off to break the best partnership (43) of the innings.

© The Barbados Nation