ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Wins for Windward Islands Volcanoes, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, and Jamaica Scorpions marginally trumped the rare accomplishment of Leeward Islands Hurricanes opener Mikyle Louis hitting hundreds in both innings of the same match in the West Indies Championship yesterday.
The Kittitian followed up his maiden first-class hundred of 113 in the first innings with a resolute 130 before hosts Hurricanes were bowled out for 295 in their second innings on the third day of their second-round match in St Kitts and set defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles the highly improbable, if not impossible target of 460 to win. 2016 Under-19 World Cup winning pair of pacers Shamar Springer and Ryan John shared seven wickets to set up Volcanoes for a nine-wicket win against Barbados Pride in their top-of-the-table match in Jamaica.
Discarded West Indies pacer Anderson Phillip and off-spinner Bryan Charles shared eight wickets, and Red Force made up for time lost in their washed-out first-round match, completing a six-wicket win against the Cricket West Indies Academy in the other match taking place in St Kitts.
A destructive spell from teenaged leg-spinner Zishan Motara was overshadowed by a batting collapse from his Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners that sparked a morale-boosting, 10-wicket win for hosts Scorpions.
AT WARNER PARK: Playing on home soil, Louis resumed from his overnight score of 37 and was the glue that held the Hurricanes batting together after they continued from their bedtime total of 52 for one. He defied a destructive spell from Harpy Eagles captain Kevlon Anderson and struck 11 fours and five sixes from 168 balls.
Louis became only the second Hurricanes batsman and 11th overall to score hundreds in each innings of a match in the modern era of the West Indies Championship (1966 onwards).
He shared 63 for the second wicket with West Indies white-ball batsman Keacy Carty that gave the home team an early foundation before Anderson undermined their batting with his uncomplicated bowling and finished with five for 57 from 15 overs.
Carty supported with 34, and Colin Archibald, batting at nine, made 31, but the rest of the batting folded meekly.
Harpy Eagles then suffered an early setback when opener Matthew Nandu fell to burly off-spinner and Hurricanes captain Rahkeem Cornwall for 12.
West Indies Test opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of former Guyana and West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Raymond Perez batted through the remainder of the day and put on 55 – unbroken – for the second wicket.
Chanderpaul was not out on 40 and Perez was not out on 20, and Harpy Eagles were 67 for one when stumps were drawn.
AT KENSINGTON PARK: Barbadian all-rounder Springer showed his home team what they were missing, taking four for 44 from 12 overs, and John finished three for 28 from 11.1 overs, and Volcanoes bowled out Pride for 126 in their second innings about 50 minutes before lunch.
Former West Indies Under-19 batsman Kevin Wickham was the only Pride batsman that offered prolonged resistance, hitting the top score of 74.
Pride again failed to ease worries about the stability of their batting, after they continued from their overnight total of 72 for four. Springer removed West Indies Test selectee Akeem Jordan for 15 and Wickham for eight before Pride had reached 100, and John returned to mop up the tail.
It took Volcanoes about 20 minutes to clear the 16 required for their second victory for the season that propels them provisionally to the top spot in the table on 39 points.
AT THE CONAREE CRICKET CENTRE: Phillip was the pick of the Red Force bowlers taking four for 33 from 11.1 overs, and Charles ended with four for 57 from 17 overs, and the CWI Academy were bowled out for 224 in their second innings.
Hometown kid Carlon Bowen-Tuckett, son of former Leeward Islands and West Indies all-rounder Carl Tuckett, led the way for the Academy with 46 not out and shared 55 for the eighth wicket with Joshua Bishop to add some respectability to their side’s total. Starting the day on 84 for three, the emerging players’ side lost Mbeki Joseph in the first half-hour without addition to his overnight score of 34.
They slumped to 155 for seven before Bishop, batting at nine, came to the crease and offered a period of resistance with Bowen-Tuckett to get them past 200 before Phillip snared the last three wickets in a devastating second spell.
Bishop triggered a few panicky moments in the opposition camp, taking three for 28 from eight overs, before Red Force nervously crawled past 59 required to win.
AT SABINA PARK: Motara took three of the last four Scorpions first innings wickets and ended with seven for 108 from 31.2 overs, and the hosts were bowled out for 331 about 25 minutes before lunch with a first innings lead of 24.
Peat Salmon started a day that proved his all-round capability with 45 that propped up the bottom half of the Scorpions batting after they started the day on 259 for six, replying to the Marooners first innings total of 307.
Salmon, bowling his off-spin, then bagged four for 12 from seven overs, and pacer Gordon Bryan supported with three for 19 from nine overs, and Scorpions bowled out Marooners for 87 in their second innings about 15 minutes past the scheduled tea break.
Chadwick Walton, not out on 46, and fellow opener Carlos Brown, not out on 19, then wasted little time getting the Scorpions past their target of 64 about half-hour past the scheduled tea break.
