By E. Glenford Prescott
Dominica gave themselves a great chance of winning the Windward Islands U-15 Cricket Tournament with a second win in as many matches when they beat defending champions, Grenada by seven wickets at Arnos Vale TWO on Thursday.
SCORES: Grenada 102 in 31 overs, Dominica 103-3 30.2 overs.
The Dominicans, who had beaten SVG by 7 wickets on Wednesday, put in another clinical bowling performance to dismiss the defending champs to the modest total.
In conditions that required some level of patience and grafting, the Grenadian batsmen refused to bide their time and contrived to gift their wickets away.
Donald McDonald, who got 32 (4 fours) and Emmanuel Stuart 23 (3 fours), who shared in a third-wicket partnership of 43, were the only players who seemed capable with the Dominican attack.
The right-arm medium pacer was the lead bowler with 3 for 14 and he got support from off-spinner Kerwin Dupigny who took 2 for 7.
Set a target at just over 2 runs an over, the Dominicans batted sensibly and were piloted home by the classy Leic (pronounced Lay-eek) Charles who hit an unbeaten 38 (5 fours).
Charles, a diminutive left-hander who batted at number four, played crisp shots especially in front of the wicket against both spin and pace in an innings of maturity that had many speaking with admiration.
His only mode of dismissal seemed to be by the run out route as he, and partner Aulick Athanaze who stayed with him for the final 47 runs, always seem uncertain about what was a run.
The road to the total was worked upon by Toussaint and Gamliel Ophar, with 16 apiece. Left-arm legspinner Calvin Blache took 2-29.
Friday was a rest day in the tournament.