TAROUBA, Trinidad, CMC – Speedster Anderson Phillip notched his maiden 10-wicket match haul as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force crushed Windward Islands Volcanoes by an innings and 84 runs inside three days here yesterday to post their second straight win of the Regional Four-Day Championship.
On four without loss overnight after following on by 236 runs at the Brian Lara Stadium, Volcanoes capitulated meekly for 152, with Phillip bowling superbly to finish with a career-best six for 19.
The 22-year-old, who picked up four for 53 in the first innings, finished with match figures of 10 for 72 to follow up his six for 59 against leaders Barbados Pride last week.
Keron Cottoy, at number six, top-scored with 35 while opener Kimani Melius got 29 and Andre Fletcher, 25, but the visitors never recovered after losing four wickets for 14 runs to crash to 50 for four before lunch. Requiring a massive effort in their second turn at the crease after being bundled out for 173 in their first innings on Friday’s second day, Volcanoes showed improved resolve up front when Melius and veteran Devon Smith (17) put on 36 for the first wicket.
Melius had struck four fours and a six off 45 balls when he became the morning’s first casualty, lbw playing across to a full length delivery from fast bowler Uthman Muhammad, pitched on middle and leg.
Phillip then turned the game on its head by removing Smith lbw playing back and then with the very next ball, beating captain Sunil Ambris’s defensive stroke to bowl him comprehensively for a first-ball ‘duck’.
In his next over, Phillip had Emmanuel Stewart caught at gully by Cephas Cooper off a leading edge, also without scoring.
Cottoy and Fletcher then put together the best stand of the innings by adding 41 for the fifth wicket which temporarily halted the slide.
While Cottoy faced 68 balls and struck two fours and a six in nearly 1-¾ hours at the crease, Fletcher hit a couple of fours and sixes in a 51-ball knock before he perished in the sixth over before lunch, bowled by left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein playing back to one which kept slightly low.
Ryan John arrived to launch a bold counter-attack, lashing two fours and sixes in a cameo 11-ball 22 before but he was the last wicket to fall before the interval, caught low down at forward short leg by Cooper off leg-spinner and captain Imran Khan.
On 118 for six at tea, Volcanoes put up little resistance following the resumption as Cottoy, unbeaten on 26, was last out after adding only nine runs with the injured Kavem Hodge again unable to bat.
