ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The Jamaica Scorpions and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force expectedly wrapped up comfortable victories on the fourth and final day of the first round of matches in the West Indies Championship on Saturday.
Led by a sensational seven-wicket haul by debutant Tamarie Redwood, the Scorpions defeated the Windward Islands Volcanoes, while left-arm spinner Khary Pierre also bagged seven wickets as the Red Force registered a mammoth innings and 75-run victory over the Combined Campuses and Colleges.
At Arnos Vale in St. Vincent, teenage leg spinner Redwood ran through the Volcanoes’ middle order on the way to finishing with the impressive figures of 7-72 on debut, as the Scorpions wrapped up a comfortable 178-run victory.
Resuming on their overnight total of 65 for one and requiring an improbable 355 more runs for a historic win, the Volcanoes made a promising start before Redwood unleashed his fury.
Sunil Ambris and Keron Cottoy added 60 runs for the third wicket after Redwood had dismissed Stephan Pascal early in the opening session.
But with the score on 137 for two, left-arm spinner Jeavor Royal bowled Cottoy for 31 to break the partnership and open the floodgates.
Ambris hit the top score of 56 before Redwood claimed his wicket and the 18-year-old produced a gem of a delivery that spun sharply from outside off stump to bowl the left-handed Gian Benjamin for 23.
Redwood then also claimed the wickets of Ryan John for one, Shadrack Descarte for 47, and Kenneth Dember for eight, before he fittingly ended the match by having Daurius Martin stumped for a duck.
Royal provided good support, taking 2-81.
<Pierre bags seven wickets in Red Force victory>
At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, San Fernando, T&T, fighting half-centuries from Damel Evelyn and Shaqkere Parris were not enough to prevent the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) from an innings defeat to the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.
The CCC was undone by a superb spell of 7-40 from 24 overs by Pierre, who pioneered a middle-order collapse that saw them lose their last six wickets for just 15 runs.
Needing 192 more runs to make the Red Force bat again after they started the day on 90 for one, Pierre struck early when he trapped Avinash Mahabirsingh lbw for 14.
Evelyn eventually scored his half-century but soon after was also caught plumb in front by Pierre for 57 to make the score 116 for three.
Sadique Henry and Parris joined forces during a 52-run partnership to frustrate the Red Force bowlers until leg spinner Yannic Cariah accounted for the former’s wicket after he had scored 15.
CCC were still comfortably placed at 192 for four, but when Pierre bowled Parris for an even 50, it transformed the match.
Demario Richards was bowled by Pierre for a first-ball duck, and on the next ball, without a run being added, Kyle Corbin was adjudged lbw off the bowling of Jyd Goolie.
Pierre then dismissed Abhijai Mansingh and Andre Bailey for five and three, respectively, while Goolie bowled Ojay Shields for a duck to complete the victory.
SUMMARISED SCORES
At Arnos Vale in St Vincent
Jamaica Scorpions defeated Windward Islands Volcanoes by 178 runs.
SCORPIONS 337 & 277-7 dec’d in 75.5 overs (Jermaine Blackwood 75, Daniel Beckford 50 not out, Kirk McKenzie 46, Odean Smith 35, Carlos Brown 30, Brad Barnes 23; Kenneth Dember 5-95, Shadrack Descarte 2-36) vs VOLCANOES 195 & 241 in 72.1 overs (Sunil Ambris 56, Shadrack Descarte 47, Stephan Pascal 32, Keron Cotty 31, Jeremy Solozano 26, Gian Benjamin 23; Tamarie Redwood 7-72, Jeavor Royal 2-81).
At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in T&T
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force defeated Combined Campuses & Colleges by an innings and 75 runs.
RED FORCE 504-6 dec’d. in 138.3 overs (Jason Mohammed 176, Jyd Goolie 121, Cephas Cooper 80, Vikash Mohan 66, Yannic Cariah 22, Tion Webster 22; Abhijai Mansingh 2-116, Avinash Mahabirsingh 2-142) vs CCC 222 & 207 in 78.2 overs (Damel Evelyn 57, Shaqkere Parris 50, Johann Jeremiah 29, Sadique Henry 15, Avinash Mahabirsingh 14, Kyle Corbin 14; Khary Pierre 7-40, Jyd Goolie 2-6).
(CMC)
