PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Wicketkeeper/ batsman Jahmar Hamilton kept up his good form with a half-century as he held the Leeward Islands Hurricanes batting together against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force here yesterday.
Playing on the opening day their eighth round encounter in the Regional first class championship, the visitors rallied to 225 all out after they were sent in.
Hamilton, who struck a pair of 40s in the last round and a hundred in the sixth round, top-scored with 53 while captain Nkrumah Bonner hit 47 and Rahkeem Cornwall, 31.
Seamer Rayad Emrit (3-55) and pacer Marlon Richards (3-55) both claimed three wickets apiece while leg-spinner Imran Khan chimed in with two for 63.
At the close at the National Cricket Centre, Red Force were seven without loss from the two overs available.
Hurricanes, unbeaten in their last two outings, lost wickets in clusters throughout the innings.
They started poorly, losing West Indies Under-19 star Kacey Carty for five in the third over of the day and Trinidadian Daron Cruickshank for eight at 19 for two – both falling to Emrit.
Bonner and opener Montcin Hodge (24) put on 51 for the third wicket, stabilising the innings with an attractive stand.
Jamaican Bonner struck 81 balls and counted six fours in nearly two hours while Hodge counted two fours in a 74-ball knock.
Hodge, Sherwin Peters (1) and Bonner then fell in quick succession for 28 runs in the space of 57 balls to leave Hurricanes on 98 for five.
Not for the first time in recent rounds, Hamilton stepped up to anchor the best stand of the innings – 74 for the sixth wicket with Cornwall.
All told, Hamilton carved out five fours and two sixes off 85 balls while Cornwall hit four fours off 57 deliveries.
Both fell in successive overs with the score on 172 and Hurricanes promptly lost their last five wickets for 53 runs.
