Emerging off-spinner says Bajans can’t play spin
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — A student who played a key role in the demise of Barbados at the hands of Guyana in the Caribbean T20 match Thursday says he has identified a formula for beating the Bajans.
Steven Jacobs, an emerging off-spinner, says Barbados’s susceptibility to spin bowling is the reason they crashed to a 42-run defeat against the former champions.
Jacobs was named Man-ofthe-Match after impressive figures of 4-1-13-2, as Guyana successfully defended 108 by holding Barbados to their lowest T20 score of 66.
“One of the weaknesses of the Bajans is batting spin. The skipper tried to exploit that weakness. Playing in Barbados helped a lot,” said Jacobs, a student the Cave Hill Campus, University of the West Indies (UWI).
“I get a chance to look at the batsmen in local cricket. That was a major thing for me and I also shared the knowledge with my teammates. It worked out well.”
The 24-year-old spent part of last year playing club cricket in Barbados.
The match-winning figures were his best in T20 cricket and took Guyana to eight points from two matches.
He says Guyana’s comeback win against Barbados has motivated his teammates.
“Guyana is a never-say-die team. We will always put in 100 per cent. Having 108 runs on the board we knew that there was still pressure there on Barbados,” said Jacobs, a former West Indies Under-19 vice-captain.
“The ball was spinning and we knew that one of the strengths in our team is our spinning department. We executed really well.”