Kirk McKenzie hit his second hundred in first-class cricket but the Guyana Harpy Eagles ended day three of their fourth-round West Indies Championship fixture against the Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park on Friday in a strong position.
The Harpy Eagles defeated the Jamaica Scorpions by 228 runs in round four for their third win to move to 68.2 points.
Second-placed Windward Islands Volcanoes kept pace with the Harpy Eagles at the top with a six-wicket win over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the Brian Lara Stadium to move to 58 points.
Their opponents in the final round will be third-placed Barbados Pride, who have 50 points after beating the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force by seven wickets at the Queen’s Park Oval. That game will take place at the same venue.
The points table is rounded out by the Hurricanes (41.4), the Red Force (28.6) and the Jamaica Scorpions (21.2). The Red Force will play the Scorpions at the Brian Lara Stadium in the final round.
All games start on Wednesday at 9:00am Jamaica Time (10:00 am ECT).
Defending champions, the Guyana Harpy Eagles, hold a 6.2-point lead over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force heading into the seventh and final round of the 2025 West Indies Championship scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
The Harpy Eagles, who won five straight titles from 2015-2019, have 20 points after hammering defending champions Barbados Pride, who are last with 4.8 points, by 183 runs in round one at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
The Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and the Windward Islands Volcanoes are second and third with 10.2 and 8.4 points, respectively, after playing to a draw at the St. George’s Cricket Ground in Grenada.
Fourth is occupied by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes with 7.4 points after narrowly missing out on an outright win over the Jamaica Scorpions at Coolidge. Their round one opponents are fifth with 6.2 points.
Round two gets underway on February 8 with Jamaica facing Barbados at Coolidge, the Leeward Islands facing Trinidad & Tobago at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and the Grenada National Stadium hosting Guyana and the Windward Islands.
The Harpy Eagles started Thursday’s second day 278-7 off 88 overs with Savory and Imlach unbeaten on 127* and 33*, respectively.
The pair brought the score up to 342 in the 105th over before Savory fell for a fantastic 155. His knock lasted 309 balls and included 16 fours and three sixes.
Imlach went on to finish on 101*, his second hundred in a row, off 169 balls including 11 fours and two sixes as the Harpy Eagles were eventually bowled out for a massive 424 off 116.3 overs.
Ojay Shields finished with 4-103 off 23 overs for the Scorpions while Peat Salmon took 3-117 from his 29 overs.
Veerasammy Permaul then worked his magic to rip through the Scorpions batting on the way to 5-55 from his 21 overs to leave the hosts reeling at 153-9 off 61 overs at stumps, trailing by 271 runs.
Captain Brandon King has top-scored so far for the Scorpions with 32. Isai Thorne has provided good support for Permaul with 2-19 from his eight overs.
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)
Jamaica Scorpions 153-9 off 61 overs (Brandon King 32, Ramaal Lewis 24, Veerasammy Permaul 5-55, Isai Thorne 2-19).
Elsewhere, the Combined Campuses & Colleges trail the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force by 482 runs at stumps on day two at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in St. Augustine.
The Red Force started day two 374-4 and went on to post a formidable 591-7 off 123 overs.
Amir Jangoo, who started the day on 153, ended up making a brilliant 218 off 238 balls including 15 fours and 10 sixes.
Skipper Joshua Da Silva also cashed in with 79 as Amari Goodridge took 5-92 from 22 overs.
CCC were then restricted to 109-5 at stumps. Kamil Pooran led the way with 40 while Anderson Phillip and Terrance Hinds have both taken two wickets, each.
Full Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 591-7 declared off 123 overs (Amir Jangoo 218, Jason Mohammed 157, Joshua Da Silva 79, Amari Goodridge 5-92)
Combined Campuses & Colleges 109-5 off 36 overs (Kamil Pooran 40, Terrance Hinds 2-15, Anderson Phillip 2-29)
At Queen’s Park Oval, Leeward Islands Hurricanes trail the Barbados Pride by 445 runs at stumps on day two.
The Pride, after starting day two 248-3 off 90 overs, went on to post a massive 542-9 declared off 143 overs.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite carried on from his overnight 117 to make a top score of 189 off 400 balls including 17 fours.
Roston Chase was also in blistering form on Thursday, hitting an 87-ball 127 including 10 fours and seven sixes.
Rakheem Cornwall took 5-132 from 33 overs for the Hurricanes.
The Leewards reached 97-1 off 37 overs at stumps. Keacy Carty and Mikyle Louis are the batsmen at the crease for the Leewards on 64* and 25*, respectively.
Full Scores: Barbados Pride 542-9 declared off 143 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 189, Roston Chase 127, Zachary McCaskie 101, Rakheem Cornwall 5-132)
Leeward Islands Hurricanes 97-1 off 37 overs (Keacy Carty 64*, Mikyle Louis 25*)
At Coolidge, the Windward Islands Volcanoes lead the West Indies Academy by 169 runs at stumps on day two.
The Academy, after starting day two 133-7 off 33 overs, were eventually bowled out for 158 in 39.4 overs.
Carlon Bowen-Tuckett top-scored with 36* as Gilon Tyson ended with 5-50 from 13.4 overs for the Volcanoes.
West Indies Test batsmen Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge led the way in the second innings for the Windwards with 89 and 41, respectively, but good bowling from the Academy meant the Volcanoes were 165-7 off 60 overs at stumps.
Joshua Bishop and Ashmead Nedd took 2-30 off 22 overs and 2-32 off 19 overs, respectively, for the Academy.
Full Scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 162 off 48.3 overs (Shamar Springer 31, Stephan Pascal 26, Joshua Bishop 4-24, Johann Layne 3-30, Kadeem Alleyne 2-20) & 165-7 off 60 overs (Alick Athanaze 89, Kavem Hodge 41, Joshua Bishop 2-30, Ashmead Nedd 2-32)
West Indies Academy 158 all out off 39.4 overs (Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 36*, Kadeem Alleyne 35, Gilon Tyson 5-50, Ryan John 2-40, Shamar Springer 2-65)
Defending champions, the Guyana Harpy Eagles, will enter the fifth round of the 2025 West Indies Championship with a slight 3.4-point lead over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in the points standings.
Hodge 171-ball 88 included 12 fours. He and Smith, who scored 77 while sharing an opening stand of 43 with Desron Maloney, put on 130 for the second wicket to lay a solid platform for the Volcanoes.
Hodge also featured in a 44-run with former West Indies batsman Kirk Edwards as the Windwards kept the Scorpions bowlers at bay. He eventually fell to the bowling of Derval Green who was the best of the Jamaican bowlers, ending the day with figures of 3 for 58 from 20 overs.
However, Hodge’s dismissal did not provide an opening for Jamaica as Emmanuel Stewart remained unbeaten on 46 and Keron Cottey (26) will resume batting on Friday morning.
Over at Bridgetown, Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 66 was the foundation for Guyana’s 209 for 8 at stumps as Barbados' Kemar Roach tore through the Jaguars’ batting taking 4 for 28.
There were two wickets each for Johnathan Carter and Jomel Warrican, who were also held up by a stubborn 43 from Kevin Sinclair.
Holder starred with 4-47 from 17 overs as the Pride restricted the Red Force to 172 all out from just 53.5 overs after the Red Force won the toss.
Amidst the carnage, Amir Jangoo played brilliantly to finish 93* off 159 balls including 14 fours.
Chemar Holder and Shaquille Cumberbatch provided good support for Holder with 3-28 off 10.5 overs and 3-50 off 11 overs, respectively.
At stumps, the Pride reached 99-4 off 35.4 overs. Zachary McCaskie top scored with 46 while captain Kraigg Brathwaite made 30.
Khary Pierre has so far taken 2-18 from 12 overs.
Full Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 172 off 53.5 overs (Amir Jangoo 93*, Jason Holder 4-47, Chemar Holder 3-28, Shaquille Cumberbatch 3-50)
Barbados Pride 99-4 off 35.4 overs (Zachary McCaskie 46, Kraigg Brathwaite 30, Khary Pierre 2-18)
At Coolidge, leaders Windward Islands Volcanoes trail the Guyana Harpy Eagles by 296 runs at stumps on day one.
Full Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 308 off 80.5 overs (Kevin Sinclair 74, Kevlon Anderson 48, Gudakesh Motie 46, Veerasammy Permaul 30, Darel Cyrus 5-67)
Windward Islands Volcanoes 12-0 off four overs
At Sabina Park, the Jamaica Scorpions were 173-6 off 51.4 overs at stumps.
Full Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 173-6 off 51.4 overs (Carlos Brown 68*, Romaine Morris 42, Jeremiah Louis 3-34, Collin Archibald 2-23)
At the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground, Combined Campuses and Colleges trail West Indies Academy by 289 runs at stumps.
Full Scores: West Indies Academy 300 all out off 78.3 overs (Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 76*, Johan Layne 63, Joshua Dorne 36, Joshua Bishop 32, Yannic Ottley 5-47, Jediah Blades 3-59)
Combined Campuses and Colleges 11-1 off five overs
The franchise which has not won the tournament since the 2011-2012 season, has struggled to find consistency in recent editions, particularly at the crease.
“We have gone for younger investment at the top of the order to partner John and we have brought in young wicketkeeper-batsman Romaine Morris with the intention of strengthening the batting,” Coley told members of the media on Tuesday.
“The discussion that we have had with our senior batters is if they can even replicate or do better than what they did last year, along with some production from the younger guys then we should have more consistency in our batting,” he added.
Led by Jermaine Blackwood’s 768 runs, the team had a fair showing at the crease at the last edition of the tournament and scored the second-most in the competition with 3730. The tally saw the Scorpions finish in third spot overall behind Trinidad and Tobago and champions Barbados. Morris has been selected ahead of Aldane Thomas to partner with the team captain Campbell at the top of the order. The Scorpions will bowl things off against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force on Wednesday.
After starting Friday’s day three 259-6 off 73.1 overs, the Scorpions ended up being bowled out for 331 in 91.2 overs, a lead of 24 runs.
Peat Salmon was instrumental in helping the Scorpions establish a lead with a 44-ball 45 including four fours and two sixes.
17-year-old Zishan Motara, who entered the day with four wickets to his name so far in the innings, added three on day three to finish with career-best figures of 7-108 off 31.2 overs.
Facing a deficit of 24, the CCC had a horrendous showing with the bat in their second innings, being dismissed for just 87 in 30.4 overs.
Kirstan Kallicharan led the way with the bat with 29 against some excellent bowling from the Scorpions.
Peat Salmon with 4-12 from seven overs, Gordon Bryan with 3-19 from nine overs and Abhijai Mansingh with 2-35 from 8.4 overs were the main destroyers for the hosts.
Needing only 64 for victory, Scorpions openers Chadwick Walton and Carlos Brown wasted no time, needing just 9.3 overs to reach 69-0 and secure the Scorpions’ first West Indies Championship win in two years.
Walton followed up his 163 in the first innings with 46* while Brown, who hit 48 in the first innings, finished 19*.
Full Scores: Combined Campuses and Colleges 307 all out off 97 overs (Jonathan Carter 135*, Shamarh Brooks 36, Sion Hackett 30, Zishan Motara 28, Gordon Bryan 3-66, Ojay Shields 3-78, Abhijai Mansingh 2-37) & 87 all out off 30.4 overs (Kirstan Kallicharan 29, Peat Salmon 4-12, Gordon Bryan 3-19, Abhijai Mansingh 2-35)
Jamaica Scorpions 331 all out off 91.2 overs (Chadwick Walton 163, Carlos Brown 48, Peat Salmon 45, Zishan Motara 7-108) & 69-0 off 9.3 overs (Chadwick Walton 46*, Carlos Brown 19*)
The Scorpions won the toss and decided to bowl first in the match that was initially reduced to 48 overs per team after a late start due to rain. Another rain delay during the Academy innings meant they had only 43 overs to bat.
Opener Kirk McKenzie top-scored with 45 as the Academy struggled to 176 all out in 39.4 overs. With strike bowlers Dennis Bulli and Sheldon Cottrell missing out due to illness, off-spinner Jamie Merchant stepped up with 3-25 off his 10 overs for the Scorpions. Pacer Nicholson Gordon was expensive, going for 40 runs in 4.4 overs, but took three wickets as well.
Initially, the Scorpions had a target of 170 off 43 overs for victory but various stoppages for rain as well as a power outage meant that the target was eventually revised to 146 off 34 overs.
In the end, the Scorpions got to 125-4 off 26.2 overs when the heavens decided to open up again, this time causing no further play with the Scorpions comfortably ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par score of 103.
Brandon King top-scored with 48 while captain Rovman Powell got 26 not out.
The Scorpions will now play last year’s beaten finalists, the Guyana Harpy Eagles, in the second semi-final on Thursday while the Barbados Pride will tackle defending champions the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in Wednesday’s first semi-final.
Rounds five and six will take regional cricket action to fans in western Jamaica February 13 – 16 and February 27 – March 1 as Jamaica host the Leeward Islands and Guyana Jaguars, respectively.
This will be the first time that the venue is being used to host matches in this competition. Sabina Park is listed as the official home ground of the Scorpions but CWI granted permission to play games there as all the standard requirements were met.
Previously, the venue hosted international cricket and West Indies Fist-Class matches.
This season Sabina Park has not been a space with many happy memories for the Scorpions who eked out a draw against the Windward Islands Volcanoes and lost to the Barbados Pride in rounds two and three respectively.
Captain John Campbell, however, is not focusing on the venue.
“It’s all about the quality of the cricket that we play. The location of the ground is of little significance, there are more important factors to consider,” he said.
“The condition of the pitch and outfield, the existing weather conditions, the available players and their health, their form among other things. We focus on the best way to deliver the game plan designed by the coaching staff.”
Scorpions Head Coach Andre Coley complimented his team’s approach to the game which earned them a victory against five-time champion Guyana Jaguars on their home patch.
“We weren’t daunted by the strength of the opponent or their form in this season. The team dug deep and delivered an inspired performance. At times the game was in the balance and we did what was necessary to swing it in our favour,” he said.
“How we want to play won’t change. We must maintain discipline and focus; we have to do the basics perfectly. We observed carefully what inputs and execution made us win so we’ll be repeating those things. There are areas for improvement; we have to post higher first innings totals and the batsmen have to build solid, long-lasting partnerships.
“The big lesson from the victory in our last game is that we are good enough. The team has talent – technically and tactically. Our application must be consistently good if we are going to secure winning results.”
After four rounds of play, Jamaica currently sits in fifth place with 36.8 points, just a place above the Leeward Islands who anchor the table on 29.2 points.
Scorpions squad: John Campbell – Captain, Assad Fudadin, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Paul Palmer, Pete Salmon, Denis Smith, Jamie Merchant, Derval Smith, Marquino Mindley, Nicholson Gordon, Patrick Harty and Oraine Williams
LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES: Jahmar Hamilton (captain), Colin Archibald, Sheno Berridge, Rahkeem Cornwall, Nino Henry, Montcin Hodge, Damion Jacobs, Amir Jangoo, Jaison Peters, Kieran Powell, Ross Powell, Devon Thomas, Terance Warde.
The Pride won the toss and batted first, posting 176 all out in 45.5 overs. Captain Shai Hope top-scored with 49 as Jamaica dominated the proceedings with spin with Dennis Bulli (3-31 from 10 overs), Jeavor Royal (3-33 from 10 overs) and Peat Salmon (2-26 from 7.5 overs) all bowling well.
The Scorpions were then able to avoid a repeat of their collapse against the West Indies Academy in their previous game and successfully reach 177-5 off 45.1 overs to get their second win of the season. Both wins have come against Barbados.
Brandon King top-scored for the Jamaicans with 41 while Chadwick Walton got 37 and Andre McCarthy got 31 against 2-26 off nine overs from Camarie Boyce.
The Scorpions are now second in Zone B with eight points from four games, two points ahead of Barbados in third and two behind leaders Leeward Islands Hurricanes.
It was the first win for the Jamaican who has already been eliminated from the final four and came in the unlikeliest of manners.
Put into bat, Jamaica were looking likely to lose their fourth game in a row at 135 for 9 as Quinton Boatswain (2-35), Ashmead Nedd (3-23) and Terance Ward (2-54) scythed through the fragile Jamaican batting.
Only Paul Palmer (23) and Rovman Powell (29) posed any resistance to the Leewards’ bowling until Royal and Allen came together mounting an 85-run 10th wicket partnership that took Jamaica to 220 all out.
Allen scored 44 from 42 balls with three sixes and three fours before he was last out. Royal remained unbeaten on 38 from 40 balls from which he got two sixes and two fours.
Chasing a modest 221, the Leewards were 72 for 3 when Nitish Kumar and Devon Thomas looked to steer the team towards victory with a fourth-wicket stand of 64 when Jamie Merchant, who took 3-44, dismissed Kumar for 51.
Thomas eventually fell for 44 as the Leewards stumbled to 152 for 6, needing a further 69 from the remaining 71 balls.
Colin Archibald and Terance Ward held up the Jamaicans with an eighth-wicket stand of 27 but then the weather intervened shortly after Rovman Powell got Archibald for 18.
Royal, who took the wickets of Kieran Powell for 17 and Kacey Carty for 13, returned 2-31 to complete his man-of-the-match performance.
The Leeward Islands Hurricanes completed a five-wicket victory over the Jamaica Scorpions on day four of their round two 2025 West Indies Championship clash at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday to move to two wins in as many games. The Hurricanes, after entering the day 44-1 in 9.1 overs needing a further 112 for victory, reached their target in 41 overs while losing another four wickets.
John Campbell's brilliant century and an unbeaten half-century from Brad Barnes helped Jamaica post a competitive 306-9 on the opening day of their West Indies Championship clash against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Wednesday.
Campbell and Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood shared 155 for the second wicket to bring Scorpions back into the match in their second innings.
Blackwood made 76 before he was caught behind off pacer Josh Thomas, who had earlier bowled Campbell to end the day with 2-37 from 17 overs.
Nkrumah Bonner, not out on 40, and Paul Palmer Jr, not out on 36, batted through the final 90 minutes before the close to put the Scorpions ahead by 123 to set up an intriguing final day on Sunday.
Resuming from their overnight total of 203 for seven in their first innings, the Scorpions were bowled out inside the first hour with left-arm pacer Preston McSween taking two of the last three scalps to end with 3-41 from 15.2 overs.
Derval Green added 12 to his overnight score for the Scorpions top score of 62 before Preston McSween dismissed him to bring the innings to a close.
Barbados Pride are expected to welcome back the experienced Kemar Roach when they take on Jamaica Scorpions in the upcoming regional first-class match at Kensington Oval.
Kevlon Anderson continued his stellar run of form in the West Indies Championship with a brilliant century as Guyana Harpy Eagles and Jamaica Scorpions ended the opening day evenly poised in their fourth-round clash at Sabina Park on Wednesday.
The Jamaica Scorpions ended the second day of their fifth-round West Indies Championship fixture against the West Indies Academy at Coolidge with a 274-run second innings lead.