by HAYDN GILL

Barbados’ brilliance in the Carib Beer Series continued yesterday as they grabbed first innings points over the Leeward Islands to secure this year’s title.

However, the champagne bottles won’t be popped until they complete an expected sixth successive victory sometime today at the small Addelita Cancryn Ground in St Thomas, United States Virgin Islands.

It was the 19th regional first-class title for a nation that has now won the championship six times in the past ten seasons, repeating last year’s triumph.

Next week they will attempt to reach a perfect “seven-heaven” when they meet Trinidad and Tobago in south Trinidad. After that they will go after another repeat in The Carib Beer International Challenge.

Last night, however, the Bajans were feeling on top of the world after retaining the Cup on a day in which Sulieman Benn achieved the tenth hat-trick in regional first-class competitions and Sherwin Campbell batted through the innings on the way to a career-best unbeaten 211.

The Leewards fell for a mere 161 after Barbados made 432. The home side were 76 for two in their second innings.

“I am very happy,” Barbados skipper Courtney Browne said. “We have a very balanced team and each and every player knows his role and tries to stick to it.

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