A responsible unbeaten half-century from Devon Smith and 45 not out from Keddy Lesporis guided Windward Islands to an easy eight-wicket win over last year’s champions Trinidad & Tobago in Group A of the West Indies Cricket Board 50 overs match at Sabina Park yesterday.

Windwards reached 139 for two within 34 overs after dismissing the highly fancied Trinidad & Tobago team for a disappointing 133.

For Trinidad, the loss meant elimination from the tournament that they have won the previous two seasons, while Windwards topped the group and progressed to the semi-finals after three straight preliminary round victories. Hosts Jamaica finished second and will also progress, while the Combined Campuses & Colleges ended at the bottom after losing all three matches.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first at a ground which was staging its fourth match in as many days, the Trinis were made to struggle by a disciplined Windwards bowling attack.

By the 15th over Trinidad & Tobago had put just 38 runs on the board with the quartet of Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo and captain Darren Ganga already back in the pavilion.

Dwayne Bravo and Denesh Ramdin resisted in a stand of 30 runs for the fifth wicket, but when the former was dismissed by newly-appointed West Indies captain, Darren Sammy, for a breezy 29, the writing was on the wall for Trinidad.

Wickets fell regularly thereafter as big-hitting sensation Kieron Pollard stood helpless at the other end. He was eventually the last man dismissed at the start of the 41st over when a Nelon Pascal yorker seared under his swinging blade to disturb the stumps. By then Pollard had accumulated a patient 39 off 69 balls inclusive of four boundaries and a six.

Mervin Matthew took two wickets for 20 runs off eight overs, while spinner Shane Shillingford grabbed two for 23 off 10. Pascal ended with two for 32 off seven overs and a ball.

Windwards started brightly as openers Johnson Charles and Smith went in search of the victory target of 134.

Though losing Charles (26) and Andre Fletcher (9) to loose shots with 86 runs still to get, Smith showed his experience with a solid 51 from 88 balls. During that time he struck four boundaries including two consecutive bullet-like cover drives off Ravi Rampaul. His partner Keddy Lesporis remained very watchful at the other end before unleashing several attacking strokes, including a big six off Sherwin Ganga to end the match.