The Windward Islands Volcanoes remained unbeaten after three rounds of the West Indies Championship when they defeated the Combined Campuses and Colleges by 8 wickets at Chedwin Park in Jamaica.
Winning the toss and batting first, the Volcanoes bowled out CCC for 204 in their first innings, Darel Cyrus was the destroyer for the Volcanoes, taking 6/72 followed by debutant Gilson Tyson with 3/32. The Volcanoes replied with 395 all out, thanks to a top score of 158 not out from Kavem Hodge who struck sixteen fours and a six and shared in a 192-run fifth wicket partnership with Sunil Ambris who brought up his century, eventually falling for 120, which included ten fours and four sixes.
Jonathan Carter showed his experience but fell short of a century, falling for 94, Romario Greaves 63 and Demel Evelyn 56 took the CCC to 315 in their second innings, a lead of 124. The Volcanoes knocked this off with the loss of two wickets, Kimani Melius 20 and Johann Jeremiah 6. Skipper Alick Athanaze 58 and Jeremy Solozano 42 were the not-out batsmen to take the Volcanoes to their 8-wicket victory and remain unbeaten heading into the short tournament break.
Staying in Jamaica, the Barbados Pride handed the home team Jamaica Scorpions another loss, when they defeated them by 6 wickets at Sabina Park. Romaine Morris was left stranded on a brilliant knock of 97 by his Scorpions teammates as they were bowled out for 269. Jomel Warrican once again weaved a web of spin around the Scorpions to finish with a 5/62 followed by Jair McCallister with a 3/69. Chadwick Walton and Kirk McKenzie had a pair of 40 batting for Jamaica.
Pride and West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite registered a patient 314-ball century to finish with 142 and 63 from Kevin Wickham for the Pride to post 389 all out. Derval Green 4/78 and Peat Salmon 3/94 were the best Scorpions bowlers. Chasing a lead of 120, the Scorpions posted 292 all out thanks to 54 from Abhijai Mansingh, 48 not out from Derval Green and 43 from Leroy Lugg, as Shaquille Cumberbatch finished with figures of 5/46. The Scorpions with a second innings lead of 172. Roshon Primus led the Pride second innings with the bat with 43, as Barbados had a nervy run-chase, losing 6 wickets before victory was achieved, to finish on 176/6.
In St. Kitts, the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force suffered their second loss of the tournament, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes defeating them by 4 wickets.
Red Force were bowled out for 137 in their first innings thanks to 3/28 from Colin Archibald and 3/38 from Jeremiah Louis. West Indies Under 19 batter Jewel Andrew who recently returned from the ICC Men’s Under 19 World Cup, was the Hurricanes top scorer in the first innings with 87. Veteran Kieran Powell added 65 and Louis chipped in with 41, as the Hurricanes posted 318 in their reply, a lead of 181. Anderson Phillip 4/62 and Bryan Charles 3/81 were the pick of the Red Force bowlers.
The Red Force had a better batting performance in their second innings with 64 from Jyd Goolie and 49 from Jason Mohammed, as they posted 342 all out, a lead of 161 for the Hurricanes to get in the last remaining Day. 53 from Keacy Carty and 48 from Jewel Andrew saw the Hurricanes to victory reaching 165/6. Khary Pierre took 4/69 while Phillip had 2/26.
Defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles finally got a win in this season’s tournament and it was a big one, defeating the West Indies Academy by 221 runs at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
Guyana posted 175 all out in their first innings thanks to 4/43 from Joshua James and 2/27 and 2/31 from Johann Layne and Joshua Bishop respectively. The Academy fell 13 runs short in their first innings reply when they were all out for 162. Rashawn Worrell 58 and Joshua Bishop 51 were the backbone of the Academy’s batting. Kevin Sinclair picked up 4/45 while Veerasammy Permaul 3/15 and Gudeakesh Motie 3/31 wrapped up the Academy’s innings.
Sinclair returned with the bat to virtually bat the Academy out of the match, as he top-scored his maiden first-class century to finish not out on 165 as the Harpy Eagles declared on 415/7, wicketkeeper Kemol Savory made 58. Ashmead Nedd finished with a five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5/97.
In their reply, the Academy team lost wickets at a rapid pace. But Jordan Johnson 54 and Carlon Bowen Tuckett 43 provided some resistance to the inevitable defeat. Isai Thorne proved to be just that to the Academy batters, as he finished with figures of 4/49 and two wickets each for Kevin Sinclair 2/30 and 2/48 from Veerasammy Permaul as the Harpy Eagles wrapped up victory inside the first hour of Day 4.
Round 4 will start on March 13 with matches in Jamaica, Trinidad and Antigua.