The Windward Islands Volcanoes romped to a crushing 175-run win over T&T Red Force yesterday, as Mervin Matthew destroyed the local team's batting on the final day of the West Indies Cricket Board Professional Cricket League encounter at the National Cricket Centre in Couva. It was T&T's fifth defeat of the season and they remained fifth in the six-team standings.
After the Volcanoes were dismissed for 249 in the second innings earlier in the day, T&T folded for 125, chasing an improbable 301 for victory.
Medium pacer Matthew ended with impressive figures of 13-5-19-5, taking the first five T&T wickets before T&T could post 50. His victims were Jeremy Solozano (one), Imran Khan (one), Kjorn Ottley (21), Jason Mohammed (four) and Kieron Pollard (three). At this stage T&T was reduced to 45/5.
After Akeal Hosein was trapped leg before to Delorn Johnson for two, wicketkeeper Steven Katwaroo and Yannic Cariah fought back for the home team, adding 46 for the seventh wicket.
However, the job was too much for the pair as they fell in back-to-back overs to leave T&T on 96/8. Katwaroo was bowled by man-of-the-match Kenroy Peters for 19, while Cariah was adjudged leg before to Shane Shillingford for a top score of 38.
Cariah faced 108 balls and struck four fours, in 159 minutes at the crease.
Johnson finished off the match when he bowled captain Rayad Emrit for seven. Daniel St Clair failed to take the field as he is still suffering from a kidney infection.
Earlier, Pollard produced his best bowling spell for T&T, grabbing 5/36 in 12 overs to dismiss the Windward Islands for 249 after resuming the day on 199/5. The top batsmen for Windward Islands were Romel Currency and Dalton Polius, who scored 66 not out and 42 respectively.
Currency was unbeaten on 53 overnight.
With the victory, the Windwards moved to 98 points, just two behind Barbados, with Guyana Jaguars out front on 123 points.
Scoreboard
T&T vs WINDWARDS
Windwards 1st inns 350
T&T 1st inns 299
Windwards 2nd inns (o/n 199/5)
Devon Smith b K Pollard 20
T Theophile lbw R Emrit 4
M Bascombe c S Katwaroo b K Pollard 42
C Emmanuel c S Katwaroo b K Pollard 9
D Polius b Y Cariah 42
R Currency not out 66
Dennis Smith run out (J Solozano) 33
S Shillingford c M Richards b I Khan 1
M Matthew c I Khan b K Pollard 1
D Johnson c I Khan b K Pollard 20
K Peters c K Ottley b I Khan 0
Extras 1b 7lb 2w 1nb 11
Total 249
Fall of Wkts: 8, 67, 82, 85, 159, 222, 224, 226, 247, 249
Bowling: M Richards 9-2-33-0, A Hosein 14-4-28-0, R Emrit 7-0-36-1, I Khan 20.1-1-82-2, K Pollard 12-2-36-5, Y Cariah 10-0-21-1, J Mohammed 1-0-5-0
T&T 2nd inns
J Solozano lbw M Matthew 1
I Khan c Dennis Smith b M Matthew 1
K Ottley lbw M Matthew 21
Y Cariah lbw S Shillingford 38
J Mohammed lbw M Matthew 4
K Pollard lbw M Matthew 3
A Hosein lbw D Johnson 2
S Katwaroo b K Peters 19
R Emrit b D Johnson 7
M Richards not out 21
D St Clair absent 0
Extras 6b 1lb 1w 8
Total all out 125
Fall of Wkts: 1, 10, 29, 37, 45, 50, 96, 96, 125, 125
Bowling: D Johnson 13-2-41-2, M Matthew 13-5-19-5, K Peters 9-2-24-1, C Emmanuel 2-0-9-0, S Shillingford 10-2-25-1
Result: Windwards won by 175 runs