KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC – Khary Pierre completed his maiden first class hundred and then returned to take two wickets, as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force dominated the second day of their ninth round contest against Windward Islands Volcanoes here yesterday.
Unbeaten on 80 overnight with Red Force on 254 for six, the number eight batsman finished on 106 not out, an innings which lifted his side to 307 all out in their first innings at the Arnos Vale Stadium.
West Indies pacer Sherman Lewis snatched all four wickets to fall to end with career-best figures of seven for 76.
Leg-spinner Imran Khan (5-54) then rattled Volcanoes with a five-wicket haul, the 24th of his career, which left him just one away from 400 wickets in first class cricket.
Pierre chipped in with his left-arm spin, taking two for 48 while off-spinner Bryan Charles claimed two for 44 as Volcanoes declined from 142 for four to 200 all out, losing their last six wickets for 58 runs.
Roland Cato top-scored with 46 and West Indies batsman Sunil Ambris got 43 but veteran opener Devon Smith was the only other specialist batsman to pass 20 with 29.
In their second turn at the crease, Red Force had reached four without loss in the two overs available before the close.
The morning belonged to Pierre, however, as the 27-year-old with just a single half-century in 13 previous matches, reached a well-deserved hundred.
He lost his overnight partner Imran Khan to the eighth ball of the day without adding to his overnight 71 but went on to reach his landmark, all told facing 219 balls in just over four hours at the crease, striking 10 fours and three sixes.
Lewis, who played two Tests last year, was outstanding in cleaning up the tail for Volcanoes, though Pierre and Anderson Philip (14) frustrated the hosts in a last wicket stand of 40.
Kimani Melius (4) and Kavem Hodge (15) then fell cheaply to leave the Windwards on 37 for two before Ambris and Smith put on 58 for the third wicket to steady the innings.
Ambris faced 72 balls and struck six fours while the left-handed Smith counted three fours in a patient 78-ball innings in nearly two hours.
Both fell within 21 balls of each other with just four runs added, however, leaving Volcanoes to rebuild again. This time, Cato came to their aid, first posting 43 for the fifth wicket with Alick Athanaze (14) and then adding 38 for the seventh wicket with Ray Jordan (22).
Cato faced 121 deliveries and struck six fours and a six before he was seventh out, caught at the wicket off Imran Khan, and the last four wickets tumbled for just four runs.
