HALF-CENTURIES from captain Johnnel Eugene and opener Kimani Melius underlined a gallant Windward Islands run chase but the knocks went in vain as Leeward Islands pulled off a narrow 15-run victory in their third round game in the Regional Under-19 Championships on Thursday.
Resuming the final day on 49 for one in pursuit of 260 for victory at St Paul’s, the Windwards put up a good fight before they were bowled out for 244 in their second innings.
Eugene top-scored with 70, Melius got 68 while Johann Jeremiah chimed in with 40.
The Windwards appeared strong favourites for the win when they cruised to 125 for one but lost wickets steadily to watch their challenge fizzle out.
Zawandi White led the Leewards with 3 for 32 while Jerome Thomas (2-31) and Kadeem Henry (2-46) collected two wickets apiece.
Melius, starting the day on 26, controlled the earlier part of the innings in a 97-run stand with Jeremiah. He faced 147 balls in 201 minutes and counted five fours and a six while Jeremiah faced 116 deliveries without hitting a four.
Both perished within nine runs of each other but it paved the way for Eugene, who then rallied the innings in a knock containing eight fours and two sixes, spanning 144 balls and just under three hours.
He anchored three small partnerships — 25 for the fourth wicket with Dillon Douglas (10), 26 for the seventh with Jeremy Layne (14) and 32 with Lee Louisy (4) which put the Windwards within sight of victory at 239 for 8.
Both batsmen then fell in the space of four deliveries in successive overs with no addition to the total as the tail collapsed dramatically.
