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KINGSTON – Barbados needed a loud wake-up call before completing the formalities of beating opponents who might struggle to beat the newly-crowned Cable & Wireless Under-15 winners. Midway into the 12th over of their opening regional Under-19 limited-overs match against lightweights Canada, team coach Roddy Estwick got up from his seat on the balcony of the Melbourne Club ground, took a few steps forward and made his feelings known to his seemingly sleeping men.

"If we're not serious, we can give the match to Canada and go home," Estwick bellowed to his players,who only two days earlier, were crowned the three-day champions of the tournament.

"After winning the three-day competition, you obviously become a little complacent. You're playing a team of Canada's ability and you think that you turn up and you are going to win," Estwick told NATIONSPORT after the match.

"They needed a wake-up call, a nice reminder. I had to do it again at lunch time – to let them know we had to focus on what we were doing and not to become complacent and not to under-estimate the opposition."

Once Estwick got his message across, Barbados wasted no time in rolling over Canada for an inadequate 128 from 49.3 overs and went on to win by seven wickets to set up a semifinal clash against the Windward Islands today at the Kensington Club ground.

Barbados lost Martin Nurse to a catch on the deep square-leg boundary in the first over, but had little difficulties in attaining a revised target of 124 in 45 overs.

The adjusted target, brought about after rain delayed the resumption after lunch by 47 minutes, was achieved for the loss of three wickets with 10.2 overs intact.

Kirk Edwards led the response with a polished unbeaten 58 after left-arm fast bowler Umar Bhatti, an Asish Nehra lookalike, added the wickets of Joel Leocock and Kirk Gibson in a commendable new-ball spell.

Edwards, who reached his half-century off 87 balls, stroked six fours, mainly exquisite drives through the off-side and accompanied the solid Renaldo Parris (28 not out) in an unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 86 after they linked up at 38 for three.

Estwick's one concern was the high number of extras that included 14 wides and 11 no balls and the coach was also perplexed by the infamous Duckworth/Lewis calculation although it did not have a significant affect on the proceedings.

Canada never appeared to be serious about what they were supposed to do.

They spent the previous ten days with no cricket in the middle and during that period they would have been on sight-seeing trips and had plenty of other fun which appeared to be extended to their approach yesterday.

If they claimed to have learnt anything during their three-day matches against Jamaica, Guyana and Windward Islands, it was hardly evident.

Jason Sandher, a big No. 4, showed he was capable of handling himself by compiling a solid 50 off 98 balls and shared in two half-century stands with batsmen who least showed a tenacity to hang around.

Most of the others, however, seemed like mere novices competing in a league that is several notches above their abilities.

© The Barbados Nation