A hurricane unbeaten 50 from skipper Courtney Browne from just 27 balls spurred defending champions Barbados to a seven- wicket victory over UWI in their rain-hit Red Stripe Bowl regional One-day cricket encounter at the ARG yesterday.

Browne hit four sixes and two fours as Barbados, set a revised target of 176 to win in 29 overs after rain stopped play with UWI 116-1 in 31.2 overs, raced to 176-3 in 26.2 overs to win with 16 balls to spare.

Sherwin Campbell, one of eight players with test experience in the Barbados squad, came out with all guns blazing and, along with Dale Richards who made 31 with five fours from 41 balls, added 83 for the first wicket before Richards was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham.

Campbell, who smashed seven fours from 50 balls in his 48, was then caught behind off Cunningham at 100-2 while Ryan Hinds (11) was soon removed by pacer Jason Bennett at 106-3.

Brown and Floyd Reifer (24 not out) then saw their team to victory as the pressure took it’s toll on the UWI bowlers who were not helped by three dropped catches at short cover by their skipper Wallace. Cunningham (6-0-19-0) was the only UWI bowler to escape punishment in overcast conditions as Barbados galloped to victory.

Earlier, Barbados won the toss and asked the UWI, which included 10 Bajans, three Jamaicans and one ‘Trini’ in the 14-man squad, to bat first on a good track with some bounce.

Wallace, who opted to represent the UWI where he is studying law, put on 55 with Jason Haynes for the first wicket before he departed in the thirteenth over.

Wallace dominated the partnership and was severe on fellow Bajan Cory Collymore, whose second over cost 13 runs including a hooked six and a four from the former West Indies opener.

Wallace then threw his wicket away when he slipped and fell while attempting to loft left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn out of the large ARG.

Wallace, who faced 38 balls and hit five fours and a six in his 39, only succeeded in giving a catch to Kurt Wilkinson on the mid-wicket boundary.

The Emipre club pair of Haynes and Jason Parris then struggled to get the ball away against the on-target spin bowling of Benn and Ryan Hurley.

When rain stopped play Haynes, who looked a bit more aggressive as his innings progressed, was unbeaten on 35 from 83 balls and Parris on 33 from 75 balls with their unfinished second-wicket stand worth 61 runs.

Antigua and Barbuda face the West Indies under-19 team today in their first match in the competition.