ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A historic batting collapse by the Jamaica Scorpions against the Guyana Harpy Eagles was the highlight of the second day’s play in the fourth round of the West Indies Championship which continued on Thursday.
Joshua Da Silva scored his third century in this year’s West Indies ChampionshipThe Scorpions were routed just 44 and will require nothing short of a miracle if they are to avoid defeat against the Harpy Eagles.
Elsewhere, the Barbados Pride are on top in their clash with the Combined Campuses and Colleges, the Windward Islands Volcanoes are in the ascendancy against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, while the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force have a slight advantage over the West Indies Academy.
At Sabina Park: Medium pacers Ronaldo Alimohamed and Nial Smith combined to bowl out the Jamaica Scorpions for 44 in their first innings, their lowest-ever first class total, as the Guyana Harpy Eagles seized control of their contest on the second day.
It left the home side trailing by a mammoth 295 runs, but the Harpy Eagles refused to enforce the follow on and ended the day on 68 for one to extend their lead to 363 runs heading into day three.
The Scorpions’ batting effort was nothing short of embarrassing, as not a single batter made it into double figures.
It beat their previous lowest score of 56, which they made against the Leeward Islands in 2017.
Alimohamed started the slide by dismissing Odain McCatty for a duck before Smith joined the party by snaring the wickets of Brandon King and Jermaine Blackwood, to leave them 14 for three.
Wickets fell steadily from thereon, and after the Scorpions crumbled to 32 for nine, Tamarie Redwood and Ojay Shields had their highest partnership of 12 to at least get them past 40.
Alimohamed ended with 6-17 while Smith took 4-21.
At Kensington Oval: Roston Chase struck his 11th first class century to put the Barbados Pride in a strong position against the Combined Campuses and Colleges.
Chase scored a brisk 122 from 123 balls to carry the Pride to 428, a first innings lead of 166 runs.
He received support from Kevin Wickham who made 95, while Jason Holder made 39, captain Kraigg Brathwaite added 38 and Jonathan Drakes contributed 30.
Kalvin Marcus led a balanced CCC attack, ending with 3-81. Akeem Jordan (2-74), Damion Joachim (2-81) and Chemar Holder (2-97), took two wickets apiece.
Needing a strong effort in the second innings to have any chance of victory, CCC got off the worst possible start when they lost Johann Jeremiah for a duck to the third ball of the innings.
They ended the day on two for one, still requiring another 164 runs to make the Pride bat again.
At Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium: The Windward Islands Volcanoes are in prime position to earn a healthy first innings lead over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes thanks to an impressive performance by Ryan John.
John scored his maiden first class century as the Volcanoes compiled 480 in their first innings.
Resuming the day on 71 with the Volcanoes on 364 for seven, John, who made 109 from 178 balls, added 102 runs with Kenneth Dember, who made an unbeaten 75, to ensure the Volcanoes got up to a formidable total.
Medium pacer Gilon Tyson and John then teamed up to restrict the Hurricanes to 165 for seven in their first innings, still 315 runs in arrears.
Opener Mikyle Louis has been the backbone of the Hurricanes’ total, scoring an unbeaten 82 from 147 balls and Jahmar Hamilton scored 40, but there was very little support coming from the other batters.
Tyson has so far taken 4-31 and John has snagged 3-26.
At Coolidge Cricket Ground: Led by another century from skipper Joshua Da Silva, the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force fought back valiantly and now hold the advantage against the West Indies Academy.
Da Silva scored 120 from 189 balls, his third century in as many matches, as the Red Force recovered to post 304 runs in their first innings.
Resuming on a shaky 129 for six, Da Silva was given good assistance by lower order batsmen Khary Pierre (42), Jayden Seales (29) and Bryan Charles, who made an unbeaten 23.
Pacer Johann Layne took 5-56, while Jediah Blades and Kelvin Pitman grabbed two wickets apiece.
In their turn at the crease, the West Indies Academy found themselves in a spot of bother at 103 for five, but an unbeaten 59-run partnership between Joshua Bishop (39 not out) and Carlon Bowen-Tuckett (38 not out), carried them to 167 for five at the end of play, still 142 runs behind.
