BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican grabbed two late wickets to keep Barbados Pride in the hunt but Leeward Islands Hurricanes kept their noses in front, heading into Monday’s pivotal final day of their first round game of the Regional Four-Day Championship.
After securing a healthy first innings lead of 140, Hurricanes were cruising at 65 for two before Warrican picked up two of three quick wickets to fall, to leave the hosts stumbling on 89 for five at the close at Warner Park.
Montcin Hodge was propping up the innings with an unbeaten 36 while English County pro Chesney Hughes made 28, helping Hurricanes to an overall lead of 229.
Test bowler Warrican has so far claimed two for six from 11 tight overs.
Earlier, Pride were dismissed for 237 an hour before tea after resuming the day on 102 for three.
Kenroy Williams top-scored with 45, Justin Greaves got 41 while captain Kevin Stoute chipped in with 24.
Burly off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall finished with five for 117 while seamer Gavin Tonge picked up three for 27.
Pride suffered two early setbacks, losing both overnight batsmen Shamarh Brooks (29) and nightwatchman Warrican (15) inside the first seven overs of the morning, to slide to 119 for five.
Brooks added just one before departing to a catch at the wicket off Tonge in the fourth over and Warrican, starting the day on one, was caught and bowled by Cornwall.
Williams then anchored two stands to help Pride past the 200-run mark, putting on 35 for the sixth wicket with Stoute and a further 67 for the seventh wicket with Greaves.
The right-handed Williams produced a patient knock, lasting 101 deliveries and three hours and including four fours while Greaves faced 75 balls and counted six fours.
Pride were 171 for six at lunch and pushed on strongly afterward to be well placed at 221 for six before losing their last four wickets for 16 runs, with Cornwall and Tonge sharing the wickets to fall.
In their second turn at the crease, Hurricanes lost both openers Kieran Powell (2) and Kacey Carty (1) to slump to 13 for two but Hodge and Hughes put on 52 to rescue the innings.
Leg-spinner Nikolai Charles broke the stand by removing the left-handed Hughes, and Warrican then weighed in to further stymie the Hurricanes progress.
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Scores:
LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES 377 (Nkrumah Bonner 94, Rahkeem Cornwall 84, Jahmar Hamilton 65, Chesney Hughes 31, Kieran Powell 26; Kenroy Williams 4-26, Kevin Stoute 3-35) and 89 or five (Montcin Hodge 36 not out, Chesney Hughes 28; Jomel Warrican 2-6)
BARBADOS PRIDE 237 (Kenroy Williams 45, Justin Greaves 41, Roston Chase 29, Omar Phillips 24; Rahkeem Cornwall 5-117, Gavin Tonge 3-27 )
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HURRICANES 1st Innings 377
PRIDE 1st Innings (overnight 102 for three)
O Phillips c Bonner b Cornwall 24
A Alleyne b Cornwall 19
S Brooks c wkp Hamilton b Tonge 29
R Chase lbw b Taylor 22
J Warrican c and b Cornwall 15
*K Stoute c Bonner b Boatswain 24
K Williams b Cornwall 46
J Greaves c Hodge b Cornwall 41
+M Rampersaud b Tonge 5
K Roach c wkp Hamilton b Tonge 2
N Charles not out 1
Extras (b2, lb1, nb6) 9
TOTAL (all out, 84 overs) 237
Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-61, 3-99, 4-111, 5-119, 6-154, 7-221, 8-234, 9-234, 10-237.
Bowling: Tonge 19-7-27-3 (nb2), Boatswain 12-6-29-1, Cornwall 35-5-117-5 (nb4), Walsh 6-1-25-0, Taylor 11-2-34-1.
HURRICANES 2nd Innings
*K Powell run out 2
K Carty lbw b Roach 1
M Hodge not out 36
C Hughes c Stoute b Charles 28
N Bonner st Rampersaud b Warrican 11
+J Hamilton b Warrican 0
R Cornwall not out 3
Extras (b8) 8
TOTAL (5 wkts, 44 overs) 89
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-13, 3-65, 4-82, 5-82.
Bowling: Roach 5-0-12-1, Chase 4-0-15-0, Williams 7-1-19-0, Charles 12-4-25-1, Warrican 11-7-6-2, Stoute 5-2-4-0.
Position: Hurricanes lead by 229 runs.
Toss: Hurricanes.
Umpires: Joel Wilson, Carl Tuckett.