After winning the toss and batting first, openers Devon Thomas (38) and Ross Powell (27) gave the Leewards a good start before a procession of wickets in the middle overs left them reeling at 76-5 in the 20th over.
Thankfully for them, a 120-run sixth-wicket partnership between Rahkeem Cornwall and Terance Ward steadied the ship with Cornwall making a 72-ball 81, hitting seven fours and five sixes. Ward played more of an anchoring role making a 63-ball 32.
West Indies leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr (35) and Kofi James (25 not out) provided some impetus late in the innings to help the Hurricanes post 270-9 from their 50 overs.
West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith took 4-46 from eight overs for the Scorpions.
Scorpions openers Brandon King and Jermaine Blackwood then got the reply off to a good start, putting on 54 before King was removed for 32 in the 10th over.
That partnership proved to be the biggest one of the whole innings as Blackwood was removed for 31 in the 18th over after putting on 31 for the second wicket with Nkrumah Bonner. Bonner eventually top-scored with 44 while captain Rovman Powell added 24 as the Scorpions lost wickets at regular intervals to finish 202-9 off their 50 overs.
Off-spinner Kofi James starred with the ball with 4-32 from 10 overs.
Da Silva’s 106 off 140 ball, took Red Force from 96-4 to 308-7 at close of Wednesday’s first day. The wicketkeeper/batsman struck 15 fours and one six in his knock, as he shared in an 80-run fifth-wicket stand with Amir Jangoo, who continued his rich vein of form with a 90-ball 51 off.
Terrance Hinds, unbeaten on 21, and Khary Pierre, on one, will resume batting for Red Force on Thursday.
Spinners Peat Salmon (2-68) and Jeavor Royal (2-76) have taken most wickets so far for the Scorpions.
Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 308-7 (Joshua Da Silva 106, Amir Jangoo 51, Kjorn Ottley 45, Navin Bidaisee 31; Pete Salmon 2-68)
After being asked to take first strike, Red Force lost Cephas Cooper (12) early, but a 52-run second-wicket partnership between Kjorn Ottley (45) and Jyd Goolie (19), steadied the innings at 81-1, before Salmon and Royal grabbed three quick wickets for 15 runs.
That brought Da Silva and Jangoo together and the two steadied the Red Force innings from 96-4. Jangoo stroked seven boundaries and a six, before he was removed by Ojay Shields.
Still, Da Silva pushed on, adding another 92 runs in a sixth-wicket stand with Navin Bidaisee (31), but eventually went to Royal, after adding 36 for the seventh wicket with Hinds.
Elsewhere, at Frank Memorial Ground in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana Harpy Eagles trail Combined Campuses and Colleges by 86 runs with nine first innings wickets intact.
Scores: Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners 200 (Demario Richards 43, Romario Greaves 36, Avinash Mahabirsingh 23; Nial Smith 3-45, Veerasammy Permaul 3-51)
Guyana Harpy Eagles 114-1 (Raymond Perez 61 not out, Kevlon Anderson 27 not out)
In Antigua, at Coolidge Cricket Ground, West Indies Academy trail Barbados Pride by 44 runs with six first innings wickets intact.
Scores: Barbados Pride 155 (Jonathan Drakes 35, Kevin Wickham 27, Shian Brathwaite 26; Johann Layne 3-23, McKenny Clarke 3-26)
West Indies Academy 111 for four (Ackeem Auguste 67 not out; Akeem Jordan 2-37)
Meanwhile, at Queen’s Park Oval, Windward Islands Volcanoes trail Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 294 runs with nine first innings wickets intact.
Scores: Leeward Islands Hurricanes 300 (Mikyle Louis 100, Jewel Andrew 68, Jeremiah Louis 43; Ryan John 3-67, Gilon Tyson 2-33, Daren Cyrus 2-70)
Windward Islands Volcanoes 6-1
The lanky left-arm orthodox spinner from St Maarten proved unplayable to the Scorpions, who were bowled out for 123 in 32.5 overs. Only Odean Smith, who scored 26 and Nkrumah Bonner, 24, offered any real resistance. Alzarri Joseph took 2-24 in support.
Led by Kieran Powell’s unbeaten 80, the Leewards made quick work of the target racing to 124-2 in just 14 overs. Karima Gore was not out on 19 at the end. Nicholson Gordon dismissed Kofi James for 12 to finish with figures of 1-28. Kaecy Carty lost his wicket to Fabian Allen who conceded 33 runs from just overs in the lopsided affair.
Day four began with the Hurricanes on 198-7 off 65 overs, leading by 224 runs with Cornwall on 56 and Hayden Walsh Jr on 13.
The first wicket of the day fell in the 69th over when Walsh Jr fell for 23 with the score on 221.
The final two Hurricanes wickets fell in consecutive deliveries in the 74th over when Jamie Merchant removed Cornwall for 85 and Sheeno Berridge for one. In the end, the Leewards were bowled out for 241 in 73.5 overs, leaving the Scorpions needing 268 for victory.
Jamie Merchant ended with 4-43 off his 20.5 overs.
The Scorpions chase started well as openers Kirk McKenzie and Leroy Lugg put on 32 in 6.5 overs before a rain delay forced the teams into an early lunch break.
After the resumption, the pair added just five more runs before Lugg fell caught behind off the bowling of Sheeno Berridge for seven in the ninth over.
Two runs and one over later, McKenzie fell in a similar fashion off the bowling of Jeremiah Louis for 28.
Romaine Morris and Aldane Thomas then put on a 34-run third wicket partnership before Thomas chipped one in the air off Collin Archibald and got caught for 12 in the 16th over to leave the Scorpions 73-3.
Morris fell soon after for 22 to leave the score 75-4 in the 19th over. Captain Paul Palmer Jr was next to go for eight in the 26th over, bringing Jamie Merchant to the crease to join Mansingh.
The pair batted beautifully in the lead-up to the tea interval, putting on 60 for the sixth wicket to leave the Scorpions 142-5 at tea, needing 126 runs to win with Mansingh and Merchant both unbeaten on 31.
After the tea break, Merchant reached 47 before falling off the bowling of Cornwall to leave the Scorpions 174-6.
The 51st over saw Mansingh bring up his second fifty of the game off 106 balls.
Mansingh and Marquino Mindley brought the score up to 183 in the 58th over before Mindley became the seventh wicket to fall, caught off the bowling of Kofi James for three.
Akim Fraser became Cornwall’s fourth victim of the innings when he was trapped in front for one to leave the Scorpions 194-8. With no more runs added, Cornwall took his tenth wicket of the match when he removed Gordon Bryan for a duck, leaving the Hurricanes needing just one wicket to secure victory.
In the end, Mansingh ended up not out on 62 off 209 balls while Patrick Harty made an important one off 27 balls as the Jamaicans finished 200-9 after 82 overs.
Cornwall ended up with figures of 5-41 off 31 overs.
Scores: Leeward Islands Hurricanes 260 off 118.3 overs (Jeremiah Louis 78*, Jahmar Hamiton 40, Marquino Mindley 3-29, Abhijai Mansingh 3-47) and 241 off 73.5 overs (Rakheem Cornwall 85, Montcin Hodge 31, Jamie Merchant 4-43, Abhijai Mansingh 2-30, Patrick Harty 2-56)
Jamaica Scorpions 234 off 82.4 overs (Leroy Lugg 79, Abhijai Mansingh 56, Paul Palmer Jr 47, Rakheem Cornwall 5-54, Sheeno Berridge 2-25, Colin Archibald 2-37) and 200-9 off 82 overs (Abhijai Mansingh 62*, Jamie Merchant 47, Kirk McKenzie 28, Rakheem Cornwall 5-41)
Demario Richards, Johann Jeremiah and Kedeem Alleyne each score a half century as the CCC racked up 320-7 from their 50 overs. Needing 321 for victory, the Scorpions were bundled out for 198 in just 32.4 overs.
Once again it was the spinners that proved to be the bane of the Scorpions, sharing eight wickets between them as the Scorpions plunged to their fourth consecutive defeat.
Romario Greaves led the CCC bowling with 4-51 while Akshaya Persaud (2-25) and Abhijai Mansingh (2-55) aided in the destruction of the Scorpions batting line up.
Chadwick Walton fought bravely for his 50 from 35 balls with Odean Smith, who scored 35 and Brad Barnes 31 ensured that the defeat was not much worse. Jamaica’s big three of Rovman Powell, Jermaine Blackwood and Nkrumah Bonner, all failed to deliver, producing scores of two, 22 and nought, respectively.
Batting first, Richards top-scored with 71 against the toothless Jamaican attack that saw opener Jeremiah scoring 56 and Alleyne 51 to lay the foundation for their match-winning total. The CCC also got useful contributions from Jordan Johnson, who contributed 41 and Shane Dowrich, who scored 32.
Bowling for the Scorpions, Odean Smith took 3-28 and was the only bowler who bowled with any venom.
It could have been much worse for Jamaica, who at one point were 41-6 before a 57-run partnership between Jamie Merchant (24) and Derval Green, who is unbeaten on 33, took them closer to 100 runs.
Justin Greaves was the main destroyer with 4-34 while Shermon Lewis supported with 2-29.
Earlier, Derval Green took 5-30, Nicholson Gordon 2-26 and Merchant 2-39 as Jamaica bowled the Windwards out for 217. The in-form Alick Athanaze scored 81 and Greaves 50 offered crucial resistance to the Jamaican bowling.
The seven-wicket victory was achieved courtesy of a first-day rout from Jaguars spinner Veerasammy Permaul, whose 7-59, left the hosts 216 all out, with just Jermaine Blackwood, 59, really putting up any resistance.
In reply, the Jaguars depended on half centuries from Chanderpaul Hemraj (82) and Vishaul Singh (93) to get to 304 and a healthy lead of 88. That lead was too much for the Scorpions who buckled under the pressure, collapsing for 111, a lead of just 24.
Permaul was back at it again in the second innings, bagging eight wickets this time. Those eight wickets cost just 18 runs to end with figures of 15-77. The other two wickets went to Kevin Sinclair, who ended with 2-26.
For the Scorpions, the only batsman into double figures, John Campbell, scored all of 66 runs as his side meekly gave up the ghost.
Sinclair, nine, Leon Johnson, two, and Tagenarine Chanderpaul, two, all lost their wickets in chase of the minuscule total, with Singh on five and Christopher Barnwell on four, the not out batsmen.
Paul Palmer defied a career-best spell from left-arm pacer Preston McSween to hit his third career hundred, his second this season to extend the Jamaica Scorpions first innings.
However, the left-handed Smith carried the label of the most prolific batsman in the Championship to new heights, when he got a single off Jamie Merchant’s off-spin to move to 37 before Kavem Hodge was adjudged lbw two deliveries later to the same bowler.
Volcanoes were 79 for two, but Smith, unbeaten on 67, and fellow Grenadian Andre Fletcher, not out on 22, shared 53 unbroken for the third wicket to steady the innings.
Earlier, McSween ended with 6-64 from 25 overs, but Palmer was undefeated on 114 and anchored the lower half of the Scorpions batting after they continued from their overnight total of 285 for three.
Scorpions lost first-day century-maker Nkrumah Bonner lbw to former West Indies Under-19 World Cup-winning pacer Ryan John in the second over of the day for the top score of 135.
Bonner and Palmer had put on a record 162 for the fourth wicket, which eclipsed the previous Jamaica mark against these opponents; 126 between Palmer and West Indies international Brandon King two seasons ago at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St. Lucia.
The visitors were 290 for four and required Palmer to draw on all of his experience to frustrate the Volcanoes and farm the bowling.
None of the other batsmen that came to the crease on the day reached 20 with McSween cleaning up four of them.
The Barbados Pride secured a dominant nine-wicket win over the Jamaica Scorpions on day three of their round three West Indies Championship tilt at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. The Scorpions entered Friday 26-1 in 12 overs trailing the Pride by 36 runs on first innings.
Lewis’ 107 was made in just 92 balls and included eight fours and seven sixes as the Red Force successfully chased down 258 for 6 made by the Scorpions.
The big-hitting Lewis featured in a 112-run second-wicket partnership with Jason Mohammed that laid the foundation for the Red Force chase after Lendl Simmons was trapped lbw without scoring five balls into the first over bowled by Sheldon Cottrell.
When Mohammed got out for 28, Lewis put on 49 in quick time with Darren Bravo to maintain the momentum. Lewis was finally out to leave the Red Force at 161 for 3 at the end of the 25th, just 98 runs shy of the target. Those runs were quickly achieved as Darren Bravo and Nicholas Pooran mounted a fourth-wicket stand of 62 that took the Red Force within 27 runs of victory with 77 balls left.
Bravo was unbeaten on a run-ball 59 that included two fours and five sixes, while Pooran hit six fours in his 43.
Captain Kieron Pollard was dismissed for one by Andre McCarthy who finished with 2 for 30. Dennis Bulli also took two wickets but was expensive, conceding 84 runs from his allotment of overs.
Earlier, Brandon King’s 97 was the backbone of the Jamaican innings but the Scorpions failed to capitalize. King and Andre McCarthy posted a third-wicket stand of 116 before McCarthy got out for 40 in the 33rd over to leave the Scorpions at 155 for 3.
However, Jamaica only managed 103 runs from the last 17 overs on a good batting pitch.
They only managed to get past 250, thanks to 43 from 44 balls by Rovman Powell, who also featured in a 46-run fifth-wicket partnership with Paul Campbell, who made 21.
Anderson Phillip took 3 for 66 from his 10 overs, while there was a wicket each for Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul and Akeal Hosein.
In what was a must-win match for both teams, if they were to remain in the tournament, McCarthy stepped up for Jamaica taking career-best figures of 6-16 as Barbados, chasing 2019 for victory, crumbled to 167 all out.
Jamaica will now go onto play the unbeaten Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the semi-final on Wednesday.
In a match that Jamaica’s bowlers provided the runs and the wickets, McCarthy, a senior middle-order batsman, failed to deliver with the bat, bowled by Joshua Bishop for a duck after facing just five balls. It was during a spell when Jamaica’s first five batsmen fell for just 35 runs within the first nine overs of their innings.
But while the Scorpions’ batsmen struggled, they found a sting in their tail in the form of an unbeaten 68 by Odean Smith, who while producing his career-best List A score, helped Jamaica’s last two wickets put on 131 runs.
Jamie Merchant’s 37 and Jeavor Royal’ 16 also contributed to the significant wag in the Scorpions’ tail.
However, for McCarthy, not being able to deliver with the bat, spurred his belief that he had to contribute to the team’s chances of getting to the semi-finals.
“I’m one of the senior players in this team and have to give a big performance. I didn’t make any runs so I knew I had to contribute with something in the game. I told the skipper ‘give me the ball and I am going to do the job for you today,” McCarthy said after the victory.
“I’ve been working really hard on my bowling. I was in Bangladesh with the West Indies team and I was doing a lot of bowling. The coach really recognized my bowling and it’s something that is working for me now.”
Despite winning the man of the match award for his six-wicket haul that featured a game-changing hat-trick in his ninth over, McCarthy said he thrived on the backing of his teammates.
“It’s overwhelming and just a full team effort, everyone believed in me and I just went out there and did the job,” he said.
“I normally keep it tight as a bowler and knew once I did that on this surface, the wickets would come. When I bowled to their batsmen they were tentative, so I just applied the pressure.”
Set 225 to win after the Scorpions shockingly collapse for 60 in their second innings, on day three, the Windwards began the final day on 51 for three. Following the loss of marque batsman Devon Smith (0), Kimani Meluis (11) and Kaveem Hodge (21), Ambris and Flethcer combined to steady the Volcanoes early wobbles.
The two combined for a 4th wicket partnership of 105, leaving the Volcanoes just another 76 runs to win before Ambris (56) was dismissed by Jeremy Merchant. Fletcher, who top-scored with 71, would continue to anchor the team’s charge to victory but was eventually dismissed by Marqino Mindley, with the team in a solid position at 180 for 5. Keron Cottoy then contributed 24 from 49 balls before being run out, but, in the end, the team got comfortably over the line. Patrick Harty was the pick of the Scorpions second innings bowlers after claiming 53 for 3.
The Scorpions had looked in full control of the match after dismissing the Winwards for 217 in the first innings, a total still some 164 runs of their total. A disastrous second innings showing at the crease, however, handed their opponents the initiative.
Merchant (19) and Mindley (10) were the only batsman to get into double figures. Ryan John, 4 for 26, Preston McSween, 3 for 23 and Kenneth Dember, 3 for 9, did the damage as they ripped through the Scorpions batting line-up.
When play resumes on Saturday morning, Tevin Gilzene will carry on from 81 hoping for a big century as is Jermaine Blackwood, who was unbeaten on 66. The pair has so far put on 166 for the second wicket after losing opening batter Leroy Lugg for 10.
Earlier, Guyana picked up from their overnight score of 138-4 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 60 and Tevin Imlach on an even 50. The pair had extended their partnership to 175 when Chanderpaul was trapped lbw by Blackwood for 89.
Meanwhile, Imlach went to make an unbeaten 136 as Guyana declared at 294-7, 458 ahead of the Scorpions.
Mindley finished with the impressive figures of 6-54 after running through the Guyana middle order. Blackwood took 1-41.
Javelle Glenn and Abhijai Mansingh orchestrated a remarkable rescue act for Jamaica Scorpions, which placed them in a commanding position to post a formidable first-innings total against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, as they closed Wednesday’s opening day in their sixth-round day/night West Indies Championship clash at a strong 274-6 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
Resuming the day at 134 for 4, the Hurricanes were eventually all out for a battling 294 and leaving the Scorpions needing 137 to win. In response, an unbeaten 66 from 48 from Nkruma Bonner, who received support in the form of 38 off 34 from Jermaine Blackwood was good enough for the Scorpions to surpass the total at 137 for 5.
Earlier, Jahmar Hamilton (12) and Terrence Ward (20) were the ones to resume the Leewards fight and added a useful 5th wicket partnership of 110. With the team seemingly on the way to a 300 plus total, the partnership was broken when Hamilton was bowled on 54 by Bonner. Ward was the next to go as he was caught by Dennis Smith, on 74, off the bowling of Nicholas Gordon.
Rahkeem Cornwall added 22 before being another victim of Gordon as the Leewards lost momentum and crashed at 294 all out.
The Hurricanes, who have enjoyed decent form since the start of the four-day tournament, assumed control of this encounter from day one and expectedly completed victory courtesy of Greaves’ unbeaten knock.
Resuming on 145-3, with only 42 runs to get, Hurricanes easily got to their target without any further loss of wickets. The right-handed Greaves, who resumed on 62, added 32 to his overnight score to end on 94 off 183 balls, including five boundaries.
He got support from wicketkeeper/batsman Jahmar Hamilton, who finished unbeaten on 21 off 55 balls in the 74-run fourth-wicket stand.
With the win, their fourth of the season, the Hurricanes assumed pole position on the standing on 80.6 points, while the Scorpions, who were suffering their third defeat, slipped to fifth on 53.4 points.
Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 221 (Carlos Brown 68, Romaine Morris 42, Derval Green 20 not out; Jeremiah Louis 3-34, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-69, Colin Archibald 2-23, Daniel Doram 2-27) and 196 (Abhijai Mansingh 52, Kirk McKenzie 33, Ramaal Lewis 30, Peat Salmon 22; Jeremiah Louis 3-24, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-56, Oshane Thomas 2-48).
Leeward Islands Hurricanes 231 (Justin Greaves 62, Keacy Carty 53, Kieran Powell 41, Jewel Andrew 32; Peat Salmon 5-20, Ramaal Lewis 4-80) and 189-3 (Justin Greaves 94 not out, Mikyle Louis 57; Peat Salmon 2-69).
Green’s final day haul of three wickets pushed the bowler’s second innings tally to 5 for 75 and
9 for 159 overall as the Leewards came crashing down for 183. The total was still well short of the Scorpion's first innings total of 516 for 9. Beginning the day at 134-6 and with Montcin Hodge (60) and Hayden Walsh Jr leading the battle for an unlikely draw, the Leewards were roiled early when Green uprooted Hodge. The batsman was just able to one more run to his overnight total.
Alzarri Joseph who made 89 in the first innings did not have that much of an impact this time around as he lasted just three deliveries before being bowled by Marquino Mindley. Walsh battled on to make 35 but was also removed by Green to leave the Leewards at an irretrievable 154 for 9. Jeremiah Louis added a spirited 29 from 23 balls but became Green’s fifth victim to leave Kian Pemberton on 1 and the Hurricanes resistance at an end. Mindley ended with second-innings figures of 2 for 61.
Earlier the Jamaica Scorpions had been powered to their massive first innings total by 248 from Jermaine Blackwood and then skittled out the Leewards for 281.
Half centuries from Jahmar Hamilton and Karima Gore meant the second round West Indies Championship tilt between the Leeward Islands Hurricanes and the Jamaica Scorpions is evenly poised at stumps on day two at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. The Scorpions, after starting the day 306-9 off 88 overs, were dismissed soon into the day for 320 with two balls remaining in the 95th over.
The Scorpions began day four 123-2 off 43 overs needing a further 296 runs for an improbable victory.
Things started horribly for the hosts when overnight batsmen Brandon King and Kirk McKenzie fell within the first ten over of the day for 15 and 40, respectively, leaving the Scorpions 127-4 off 49.4 overs.
The rest of the wickets fell with little resistance as the Scorpions ended up being bowled out for 206 in 71.1 overs.
Gudakesh Motie and Kevin Sinclair were the top bowlers for the Harpy Eagles with identical figures of 3-32 from 16.1 and 19 overs, respectively.
Full Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 424 all out off 116.3 overs (Kemol Savory 155, Tevin Imlach 101*, Gudakesh Motie 56, Ojay Shields 4-103, Peat Salmon 3-117) & 147-4 off 35.3 overs (Tevin Imlach 44, Kevin Sinclair 36, Derval Green 2-39)
Jamaica Scorpions 153 all out off 61.1 overs (Brandon King 32, Ramaal Lewis 24, Veerasammy Permaul 5-55, Isai Thorne 2-19) & 206 all out off 71 overs (Kirk McKenzie 40, Javaughn Buchanan 39, Peat Salmon 30, Gudakesh Motie 3-32, Kevin Sinclair 3-32).
Guyana, who won five straight regional four-day titles from 2015-2019, have two wins and a draw from their three games to lead the table with 49 points.
The Windward Islands Volcanoes find themselves second on 37.8 points thanks to a win and two draws, a similar record to the Leeward Islands Hurricanes who are third with 34.2 points
Three points behind the Hurricanes are reigning back-to-back champions the Barbados Pride after a win and two losses.
The Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, with two draws and a loss, are fifth on 24.8 points while the Jamaica Scorpions are way back in sixth on 15.8 points after two losses and a draw.
Round four will see the Harpy Eagles taking on the Jamaica Scorpions at Providence, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes taking on the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy and the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force facing the Barbados Pride at the Queen’s Park Oval.
