Both Barbados teams confidently reached their respective semi-finals at the end of the round robin phase of the team competition as play continued on Day 5 of the 31st annual Caribbean Junior Squash Championships that are being held this year in Trinidad and Tobago.
In the morning session the short handed Barbados girls team faced Guyana, in a Pool C round robin tie and impressively defeated the defending girls team champions by three matches to two with all three Barbadians winning in straight games. First the Caribbean U15 silver medalist, Amanda Haywood easily defeated Rebecca Low 11-1, 11-6, 11-1. Then in the U-17 age group, Caribbean champion Gylla Mackenzie defeated Akeila Wiltshire 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 in a repeat of the U-17 final and then at U-13 the recently crowned Caribbean Champion, Meagan Best, defeated Makeda Harding 11-1, 11-1, 11-1 to continue her trend of not dropping any games in these championships. With only three players Barbados then lost both scheduled U-19 matches by default to Victoria Arjoon and Gabriella Fraser respectively but the 3-2 result was a fantastic performance against the Guyanese girls who have won the last seven Caribbean girls team titles.
Buoyed by this result the Barbados boys team took to the court in the afternoon session and defeated Cayman by four matches to one. At U-15 Shemane Griffith continued his recent vein of good form by defeating Isaiah Robinson in straight games 11-5, 11-5, 11-9. Then at U-17 Shemane’s older brother Benjamin Griffith went down in straight games to the talented Julian Jervis 1-11, 5-11, 1-11 to level things at one all in the tie. At U-19 (#1) Zaki Williams then defeated Caymanian Daniel Murphy 11-8, 11-3, 11-3 while at U-13 Caribbean champion, Khamal Cumberbatch had to work hard against Jasun Sairsingh before winning in four games 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9. In the final match U-19 (#2) Stewart St. John dispatched Sean Murphy 11-5, 11-4, 11-9 to seal the 4-1 result which ensured that the Barbados team reached the semi-finals as the runners-up in Pool B with a 2 wins and 1 loss record. In this afternoon’s semi-final Barbados will face the winner of Pool A, Jamaica. Hosts Trinidad and Tobago with a three wins and no losses record won Pool B and will take on Pool A runners-up, Guyana, in the evening session today (Saturday).
In the nightcap session on Friday the Barbados girls then faced Bermuda in Pool C and stormed away with an easy 3-2 victory with all matches completed in straight games. Amanda Haywood (U-15) defeated Olivia Lindsey 11-6, 11-5, 11-4. Gylla Mackenzie (U-17) then beat Tyie Williams 11-2, 11-0, 11-8 and Meagan Best (U-13) was too good for Bermudian Charlotte Toogood 11-3, 11-1, 11-1. Bermuda’s Emma Keane and Susanna Armano won the two scheduled U-19 matches by default. The Barbados girls team topped Pool C with a 2 wins and 0 losses record and will now face Pool D runners up Jamaica. Pool C runner-up, Guyana, will face the undefeated Pool D winners, Trinidad and Tobago later Saturday evening.
