CMC – YOUTH World Cup star Alick Athanaze rode his luck and held his nerve, as he lifted Windward Islands Volcanoes to a dramatic three-wicket victory over Barbados Pride in a nerve-jangling Regional Super50 final here late Saturday night.
In pursuit of 233 for victory, Volcanoes slumped to 205 for seven in the 44th over before the left-handed Athanaze arrived to stroke an unbeaten run-a-ball 23 and see his side home with three balls remaining in the day/night affair at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.
Volcanoes were never in control of the run chase and the match was in danger of slipping away when Kyle Mayers missed a heave at part-time off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite and was bowled for 32 at 205 for seven in the 45th over.
With 28 still required from 33 deliveries, the 19-year-old Athanaze – the leading run-scorer at the recent ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand with 418 runs – displayed nerves of steel in a vital unbroken 31-run eighth-wicket stand with captain Shane Shillingford (7 not out) to see Volcanoes to their first domestic 50-overs title in five years.
Twenty runs were required from the last 18 balls but Athanaze eased the pressure when he squeezed fast bowler Keon Harding to the backward point boundary.
He then enjoyed a huge slice of luck off the very next ball when he was put down by wicketkeeper Tevyn Walcott on seven, trying to steer a delivery to third man.
The miss proved costly for Pride as Athanaze, unfazed by the let-off, sensibly rotated the strike with Shillingford, to leave Volcanoes needing just three to win from the last over.
They sprinted a couple to wide third man off the first ball to level the scores and Athanaze, on debut for Volcanoes, fittingly sealed the win when he drove pacer Shamar Springer to the cover boundary.
Man-of-the-Match, Roland Cato top-scored with 54 in an unruffled 64-ball innings while Kavem Hodge struck an important 39 and veteran opener Devon Smith, 26.
Left-hander Jonathan Carter had earlier led Pride with a polished 80 but the defending champions suffered a disappointing batting collapse to end with an inadequate 232 for nine off their 50 overs.
Roston Chase chipped in with 44 and captain Brathwaite, 30, but Pride squandered a promising position of 140 for two in the 32nd over.
Opting to bat first, they lost Omar Phillips in the second over without scoring when he missed a swing at fast bowler, Ryan John and was bowled middle stump, with just three runs on the board.
However, Pride rebounded thanks to Carter who anchored two successive half-century stands, en route to his second fifty of the tournament.
First, he put on 69 for the second wicket with Brathwaite who faced 47 balls and struck five fours before being adjudged stumped down the leg-side off off-spinner Shillingford (2-44) in the 18th over.
Carter then found an ally in Chase and together they added a further 68 for the third wicket, to lay the ideal platform for a run spree at the back end of the innings.
Carter had faced 108 balls and struck eight fours and a six when he was brilliantly taken on the ropes at long on by Hodge off off-spinner Athanaze in the 32nd over, the Dominican taking the catch, tossing the ball in the air as the momentum took him over the ropes, before stepping back onto the field to complete the catch.
That dismissal triggered a slide which saw six wickets tumble for 55 runs, with Chase fifth out in the 41st over, caught at long on off left-arm spinner Larry Edward (2-41), after hitting a four and a six in a 57-ball knock.
Walcott, 18 not out, and Dominic Drakes (11) batted sensibly at the tail to eke out precious runs in a 31-run ninth wicket partnership.
Faced with what should have been an uncomplicated run chase, Volcanoes started slowly as Smith and Johnson Charles (16) put on 44 from 66 balls.
Smith was starting to find his touch when he was brilliantly caught at mid-off by Springer running back off left-arm pacer Drakes (3-38), after striking five fours off 41 deliveries.
Thirteen balls later, Charles missed a cross-batted shot at one that kept low from medium pacer Carter and was bowled off-stump and when Kirk Edwards was run out for 10 in the 19th over, Volcanoes were wandering at 72 for three in the 19thover.
Cato and Hodge, however, injected purpose into the innings with an 80-run fourth wicket stand which handed Volcanoes the advantage.
The composed Cato struck four fours and a couple of sixes while Hodge, dropped by Walcott on six and and Carter on 29, faced 65 balls and counted two fours before finally gloving a pull at Drakes and falling to a leg-side catch in the 37th over.
Cato followed in the 40th, plumb lbw to Harding, to be one of three wickets to tumble for 24 runs, and Mayers perished after belting three fours and a six in a run-a-ball knock, leaving Athanaze to provide the finishing touches.