Off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth took seven wickets yesterday in the Barbados' batting debacle. (Picture by Brooks LaTouche.)

by HAYDN GILL

BARBADOS handed Trinidad and Tobago a massive victory by 250 runs here yesterday after another woeful capitulation that has left coach Vasbert Drakes annoyed.

Set an impossible 452 from a minimum 80 overs, Barbados were not even helped by two stoppages for rain and batsman after batsman irresponsibly gave catches in the deep.

When the misery was finally ended, Barbados were dismissed for 201 in the last round Carib Beer Series match at Guacarara Park in which they had to prevail to advance to the Challenge final.

Trinidad and Tobago, the reigning Challenge champions, won at 4:14 p.m. with 12.1 overs remaining to complete a remarkable tenth victory in 13 matches against Barbados at all levels dating back to 2004. The win gives Daren Ganga's team a date with Jamaica in the five-day final starting on April 24.

Barbados initially gave the impression they were going after the runs after blazing to 80 without loss from the first 11 overs, but they seemed to pack up shop with the first shower of the day immediately after lunch.

It was therefore puzzling that the first five batsmen in the order perished to catches in the deep and coach Vasbert Drakes described it as "thoughtless batting".

"It was very, very, very poor display of cricket. If we can look at ourselves in the mirror, we didn't contribute too much positive things to the outcome of the game," Drakes told NATIONSPORT.

"As an ex cricketer and a coach, I am very disappointed. The disappointing aspect of it was the manner [in which] we approached the game. Our attitude towards batting left a lot to be desired."

In the first innings, Barbados lasted only 44.3 overs in making 184. This time around, they managed to survive 47.5 overs, but it was much more of a meek surrender.

Yet again, Dale Richards made it look too easy in stroking 77 off 69 balls with 11 fours and two sixes before he was the start of a slide giving a catch to deep backward-square-leg from off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth.

It was one of seven wickets for Jaggernauth who took his tally to a tournament-high 40 scalps and started the slide in which the last seven wickets fell for 67.

Before Richards, Jason Haynes, who made 41 off 51 balls, holed out to long-on after an opening stand of 97 in 15.2 overs.

The other bastmen who gave catches in the deep were Kevin Stoute, Patrick Browne and Dwayne Smith.

After Stoute completed an outstanding bowling performance by grabbing two wickets in the morning to finish with a career-best six-wicket haul, he disappointed with the bat by lifting his first ball to long-on.

Patrick Browne, still without a major score in five innings since his return from South Africa, was placed at No. 4 and made 20 before giving a catch to deep mid-wicket.

After three wickets fell in quick succession, Smith made it a fourth when he was caught at deep backward square.More rain at 2:35 p.m. when Barbados were 170 for six offered them a lifeline, but on resumption at 3:30 p.m., the wickets continued to fall.