ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Trinidad and Tobago Red Force registered the first victory of this year’s West Indies Championship by completing a comprehensive innings and 271-run win over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on Tuesday.
Gudakesh Motie took 10 wickets in the match to bowl Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to victory over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.Meanwhile, defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles have wrestled the upper hand away from the Windward Islands Volcanoes and are on course for victory, while the Barbados Pride have a slight advantage over the Jamaica Scorpions.
At Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua: Amir Jangoo blazed a second first-class double century, while Terrance Hinds reached three figures for the second time in his career, to lead the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to an emphatic innings and 271-run win over the hapless Leeward Islands Hurricanes inside three days.
Jangoo finished unbeaten on 203, while Hinds scored an even century, as the Red Force – resuming the day on 380 for five – declared their first innings on 507 for five after 145 overs.
Faced with a mammoth first innings deficit of 369 runs, the Hurricanes batted even worse in their second innings to be bowled out for just 98, with only two batters scoring in double digits.
The predictable win was set up by Jangoo and Hinds’ match-winning, unbroken fifth-wicket partnership, with none of the six bowlers used by skipper Justin Greaves able to make a breakthrough.
Jangoo, who resumed the day on 133, duly reached his double century and Hinds reached his century shortly afterwards, prompting a declaration by the Red Force.
Jangoo faced 287 balls and hit 16 fours and five sixes in his unbeaten knock, while Hinds struck five sixes and five fours in his 195-ball knock.
Needing to produce a herculean effort to force a draw, the Hurricanes produced another shabby performance with the bat, with only Greaves putting up any real resistance.
Jayden Seales struck first by dismissing Mikyle Louis for three and when Anderson Phillip removed Kadeem Henry and Jewel Andrew in quick succession, the Hurricanes were in dire straits at six for three.
Keacy Carty and Greaves tried their best in a 35-run partnership, until left-arm spinner Khary Pierre trapped Carty lbw for eight.
Jahmar Hamilton (3), Jeremiah Louis (4), Rahkeem Corwall (0) and Nathan Edward, who made four, then found themselves back in the pavilion after brief stints at the crease to see the Hurricanes slump to 68 for eight.
Greaves, who scored an unbeaten 56 off 128 balls and Daniel Doram, who made 16, briefly halted the slide of wickets, before spinners Pierre and Bryan Charles wrapped up the contest.
Pierre finished with 4-37, Charles took 2-15 and Phillip 2-18.
At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua: Led by another standout bowling performance by left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, Guyana Harpy Eagles are on track to draw first blood against the Windward Islands Volcanoes following a tipsy-turvy contest.
After the Harpy Eagles were dismissed for 264 to concede a slender first innings lead of 22 runs, Motie bagged four wickets and along with fellow spinner Veerasammy Permaul and pacers Keemo Paul and Nial Smith, fought back to dismiss the Volcanoes for 209 in their second innings.
Set a victory target of 231 runs, the Harpy Eagles ended the day on 38 for one, requiring a further 194 runs on the final day of play.
Earlier, the Harpy Eagles only added seven runs to their overnight total, with Gilon Tyson snaring the wicket of Raymond Perez to finish with 5-69.
The Volcanoes then suffered a disastrous start to their second innings, losing both openers Ackeem Auguste and Stephan Pascal without a run on the board.
Smith accounted for the wicket of skipper Alick Athanaze and Paul had Kavem Hodge caught for 10, to leave them in further trouble at 19 for four.
The innings was saved by the duo of Sunil Ambris and Shadrack Descarte, with the pair putting on 108 runs for the fifth wicket.
Just as they appeared to be taking their side to relative safety, Motie struck by trapping Descarte lbw for 39. Motie also claimed the wickets of Darron Nedd and Ryan John cheaply, while Permaul dismissed Noelle Leo to undo the earlier hard work and put them firmly in control at 165 for eight.
Ambris though, was a picture of defiance and concentration, on his way to scoring an unbeaten 107 off 176 balls, inclusive of 17 fours.
He was able to grind out 44 runs for the remaining two wickets before Motie and Permaul cleaned up the tail.
Motie grabbed 4-46 to finish with a match haul of 10-119, while Paul (2-31), Smith (2-47) and Permaul (2-53) took two wickets apiece.
The Harpy Eagles lost the early wicket of Kevlon Anderson for four in their run chase, but skipper Tevin Imlach ended on 27 not out to ensure they were no further losses.
At Chedwin Park in Jamaica: Barbados Pride will be thinking of pushing for victory on the final day of their intriguing contest against the Jamaica Scorpions.
Having earned a slim six-run first innings lead over the Scorpions, the Pride ended the day in a relatively comfortable position of 255 for five, with Kevin Wickham, who scored a century in the first innings, in sight of yet another three digit score.
Earlier, the home side did well to get up to their total of 342 after resuming the day on 275 for six.
Batting at number seven, Odean Smith led a lower order resistance with a counterattacking, unbeaten 49 off 48 balls, laced with four sixes and three fours.
He received good support from Peat Salmon, who made 45 and Romaine Morris, who chipped in with 42.
In fact, the Scorpions looked like they might overtake the Pride’s first innings score of 348 when Smith and last man Ojay Shields were in a 41-run partnership.
However, Kyle Mayers had Shields caught to leave the Scorpions agonisingly short.
Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican led the Pride bowlers with 5-71 and Mayers took 2-17 with his medium pace.
The Pride then got off to a superb start in their second innings, with openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Shayne Moseley adding 98 runs for the first wicket.
But once Salmon bowled Moseley for 65 off 80 balls and had Brathwaite lbw for 44, the Pride suffered a mini collapse that saw them slide to 168 for five.
Jonathan Drakes was lbw for 10 to Abhijai Mansingh, Mayers was bowled by Mansingh for the same score and Leniko Boucher was dismissed for his second duck of the match, lbw to pacer Marquino Mindley.
Similarly to the first innings, Wickham and Shamar Springer joined forces to frustrate the Scorpions’ bowlers during an unbroken partnership of 87 for the sixth wicket.
Wickham is unbeaten on 81 off 115 balls, while Springer is 37 not out off 81 balls.
Mansingh (2-56) and Salmon (2-63) have been the Scorpions’ best bowlers so far.
