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Cayman 1 Barbados 0
Barbados 2-3 Cayman
3 Liliana White 2-3 Chantelle Day
13/15, 11/4, 6/11, 11/8, 7/11
4 Natalie Chesham 1-3 Samantha Hennings
11/9, 4/11, 1/11, 1/11
1 Karen Meakins 3-1 Marlene West
3/11, 11/7, 11/8, 11/9
5 Lee Solomon 3-2 Melissa Evans
6/11, 11/2, 6/11, 12/10, 11/8
2 Cheri-Ann Parris v Caroline Heal
2/11, 11/7, 3/11, 3/11
The semi-finals pitched the
hosts against the top seeds in both men's and women's
semi-finals, and it ended up one each as Barbados made the men's
final and Cayman the women's - and what a match that women's
semi was.
 First
up for Cayman, Chantelle Day put in a sparkling display
to beat the experienced Liliana White in a see-saw five games.
Cayman were two up when Samantha Hennings came from a
game down to beat Natalie Chesham in four. The first two games
were well-contested, but I must admit to missing the last two
completely - the 11/1, 11/1 score suggests why. I felt compelled
to ask whether Samantha was just awesome, or her opponent
injured, and the answer from her Cayman team-mates was
resounding - "Awesome!!!".
There was a chance that Cayman could take it 3-0, with
three-time CASA champion Marlene West out next in the top
string. Her opponent though was Karen Meakins, a
three-time CASA finalist. More importantly, Karen's outings were
more recent, and although Marlene took the first, Karen, as
determined as ever, came back to take three close games and keep
Barbados in the hunt.
 The
fifth string match was the tensest of all. Lea Soloman
and Melissa Evans gave everything they had, and then gave some
more. Melissa went ahead, Lea levelled. Melissa regained the
lead, and then had match ball 10-9 in the fourth - at this stage
you could have named your price for a set of earplugs ...
Lea saved the matchball with a mishit that just about made it to
the front wall, did it again to take the game 12-10, and kept
hold of an early lead in the fifth to set up a decider.
This was another youth v experience matchup, Caroline Heal,
former WISPA player, for Cayman and Cheri-Ann Parris, CASA
junior champion, for Barbados. And it was experience that won
out, Caroline taking three out of the four games, none of which
were close in scoreline - probably a good job, I don't think
anyone's nerves could have taken another nailbiter ...
Barbados 1 Cayman 0
Barbados 4-1 Cayman
3 Bryant Cumberbatch 3-2 Cameron Stafford 9/11, 11/2,
8/11, 11/5, 11/6
4 Mark Sealy 1-3 Dan Kneipp
11/8, 9/11, 3/11, 2/11
1 Shawn Simpson 3-1 Dean Watson
11/9, 11/13, 12/10, 11/7
5 Fabian Goodridge 3-1 David Finch
11/13, 11/5, 11/7, 11/3
2 Gavin Cumberbatch 3-2 Jake Kelly
7/11, 11/4, 11/7, 7/11, 11/8
By this time Barbados's men had
already gone through to the final at the expense of Cayman, but
it wasn't easy.
 The
lively Bryant Cumberbatch - sporting headgear that made
you think Christmas had come early - came from behind to edge
out Cameron Stafford in five, but Cayman levelled when Dan
Kneipp came from behind to beat the experienced Mark Sealy.
 Disappointed
with his debut last night, Kneipp got better and better as the
match progressed, and was virtually flying around the court at
the end, leaving his opponent bemused and wondering where he
would appear from next.
Barbados regained the upper hand though, as Shawn Simpson
gained a measure of revenge for his defeat by Dean Watson in
May's Cayman Open final. Watson worked his wonders to sneak the
second game to level at one-all, but Simpson finished the
stronger, taking the next two.
 The
victory was completed when Fabian Goodridge ground the
life out of David Finch.
David edged the first on extra points, but the effort took its
toll, and although he never gave up, Fabian always looked
fitter, faster, and the likely winner ... and so it proved as he
took the next three to put Barbados into the final.
T&T 2 Rest of Caribbean 0
Trinidad 3-2 Jamaica
3 Paul Deverteuil 3-0 Joey Levy
11/5, 11/8, 11/5
4 Ryan Abraham 3-1 Warren Burrowes
11/3, 3/11, 11/2, 11/8
1 Colin Ramasra 0-3 Chris Binnie
3/11, 7/11, 2/11
5 Kale Wilson 2-3 Bruce Burrowes
6/11, 8/11, 14/12, 11/4, 8/11
2 Don Lee 3-0 Bruce Levy
11/1,
11/3, 11/4
Guyana 2-3 Trinidad
3 Kayla Jeffrey 0-3 Joanna Scoon
11/13, 3/11, 4/11
4 Victoria Arjoon v Amy Gillezeau
5/11, 5/11, 8/11
1 Nicolette Fernandes 3-0 Kerrie Sample
11/7, 11/3, 11/5
5 n/a 0-3 Nakita Poon Kong
w/o
2 Keisha Jeffrey 3-2 Rhea Khan
8/11, 11/8, 5/11, 11/5, 11/9
 Both
winners will face Trinidad & Tobago in tomorrow's finals,
as T&T beat Jamaica in the men's and Guyana in the women's, both
3-2.
In the women's match Guyana only had four players, so T&T had an
immediate head start. Joanna Scoon and Amy Gillezeau
beat Kayla Jeffrey and Victoria Arjoon in the opening matches,
both 3-0, and that was that.
Nicolette Fernandes and Keisha Jeffrey scored
consolation victories for Guyana.
 The
men's match went all the way though.
T&T looked to be cruising through when Paul Deverteuil
and Ryan Abraham put them 2-0 up, but Chris Binnie
once again outpowered Colin Ramasra in the top string to put the
Jamaicans back in the hunt.
Bruce Burrowes saw a two-game lead disappear against Kale
Wilson before levelling the match, but the comeback was thwarted
when Don Lee eased past Bruce Levy in the fifth and
deciding match.
Cayman & Barbados Vets on course
The Vets team event has its expected showdown - Cayman and
Barbados continued their winning ways with 4-1 wins over Guyana
and Jamaica respectively, putting the top seeds on three wins
out of three ... they meet tomorrow night to decide the title.
Bottom spot for Bermuda
In the 5th/6th playoffs Bermuda lost out to Jamaica in the
women's match and Guyana in the men's, putting them bottom of
the overall championship, but they're confident of serious
progress in time for the next championship - which will take
place in 2010 after CASA decided to hold the championships
annually from now on.
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