ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – A compelling all-round performance from 2016 Under-19 World Cup-winning all-rounder Shamar Springer enabled Windward Islands Volcanoes to snap their losing streak with a 158-run win against Cricket West Indies Academy in the West Indies Championship yesterday.
The 26-year-old Barbadian import hit 47 to anchor the bottom half of the Volcanoes batting before they were bowled out for 275 in their second innings about half-hour after the scheduled lunch interval on the third day of their sixth-round match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua.
Out-of-favour West Indies batsman Sunil Ambris made 41, and Ryan John, another 2016 Under-19 World Cup-winning all-rounder, made 20 to beef-up the overall lead of the Volcanoes to 279.
Barbadian left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop was the pick of the CWI Academy bowlers taking four for 78 from 38 overs, and Guyanese fellow left-arm tweaker Ashmead Nedd snared three for 65 from 32 overs.
Springer returned to bag four for 30 with his fast-medium bowling and led the demolition of the CWI Academy batting for 121 to hand the Volcanoes their fourth win of the season about half-hour before the scheduled close.
Rookie West Indies white-ball batsman Teddy Bishop led the way for the composite side with 47, and former West Indies Under-19 captain Ackeem Auguste got 24 – but no other CWI Academy batsman reached 20. John struck twice in his opening spell when he trapped West Indies Under-19 batsman Joshua Dorne lbw for a third-ball duck in his second over, and he followed up with the same method of dismissal for Auguste in his sixth over.
Fellow pacer Gilon Tyson also struck twice in his opening spell when got Kadeem Alleyne caught at point for 18 and bowled West Indies Under-19 batsman Jordan Johnson for one in successive overs. The Academy side were wobbling on 70 for four at tea, and Springer returned after the break and made sure there was no comeback story, triggering a collapse in which the composite side lost their last six wickets for 28 in 53 balls.
It was the first win for the Volcanoes since they started the tournament with three on the trot and then stumbled to back-to-back defeats in the fourth and fifth rounds, and they are likely to regain the top spot in the standings after gaining (unofficially) 18.4 points.
Earlier, Springer was on nought and Ambris was on two when the Volcanoes started the day on a precarious 165 for seven.
But they shared a valuable 48 for the eighth wicket that carried Volcanoes past 200, and Springer further frustrated the hosts when he added 63 for the ninth wicket with John before Bishop and Nedd cleaned them up in successive overs.
In the final round of matches, Volcanoes face current leaders Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, and the Academy host Barbados Pride at the CCG.
