West Indies Championships

The Guyana franchsie amassed 84 points during the championships and was followed by the Windward Islands Hurricanes who scored 74.2 points over the five rounds of competition. They were followed by the Barbados Pride with 55.6, the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 49.4 and the Leeward Islands Hurricanes 46.2.

The Jamaica Scorpions finished at the bottom of the six-team table with 25.6 points having failed to win a game all season.

Athanaze, the Volcanoes’ middle-order batsman, who was dismissed for a duck in his final innings of the season, scored 647 runs that included two hundreds and four half-centuries at an average of 64.70.

Cornwall was tops among the bowlers claiming 35 wickets during the season and enjoyed best bowling figures of 11-69 against the Scorpions. The Hurricanes’ spinner took his wickets at an impressive average of 14.34 and economy of 2.36.

Wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton had the most dismissals -19- that included 17 catches and two stumpings while in the outfield, Zachary McCaskie held 13 catches during the season.

The 22-year-old Holder who took 36 wickets during the recent West Indies Championships tells Sportsmax.TV that while he was growing up, the lanky Antiguan great was one of his heroes.

“From (I was) young it was Sir Curtly. Even now it’s Sir Curtly. I met him a few times. We spoke and he gave me some good advice so I am still working hard at my game every time I play and I take his advice in every game,” Holder told Sportsmax.TV.

He also reveals the best bit of advice he has received from the now-retired fast-bowling great, which he said came in handy in a couple of games this past season.

“The best advice he gave me is that every day is not going to be the same. You will come one day and bowl good and only get one wicket, or you might not get any and then you will come another day and think that you’re struggling and end up taking five wickets, so just keep working hard and take the game seriously all the time,” Holder revealed.

That advice he said served him well in the Barbados Pride’s first game against the Windward Islands Volcanoes in St. Vincent when his length was off and then against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in St Kitts where he struggled with his run up.

He failed to take a wicket against the Volcanoes and only three against the Hurricanes.

Opener Matthew Nandu was the top scorer for Guyana as Cornwall took 4-27 while Javier Spencer 2-35 and Colin Archibald 2-27.

In reply, opener Kieran Powell and Keacy Carty shared in a second-wicket partnership of 69 but after Kevin Sinclair dismissed Powell for 35, the Leewards slipped from 73-2 to 84-4 with Carty and Devon Thomas losing their wickets to Veersammy Permaul for 23 and two, respectively.

Anthony Adams was dismissed by Anthony Adams for 10 with the Leewards still 18 runs behind.

Howeverm Jahmar Hamilton (35) and Kofi James (9) took the Leewards beyond Guyana’s score and have so far put on 29 for the sixth wicket when play concluded for the day.

Permaul has so far taken 2-31.

The Harpy Eagles, who were slow into stride in the four-day cricket campaign, rebounded well in a thrilling showcase of their cricket prowess to retain their title and pocket the US$250,000 prize.

“The Guyana Harpy Eagles have demonstrated immense skills, tactical astuteness, and resilience throughout the tournament, showcasing the true spirit of West Indies cricket," Shallow said.

In a gripping race to the championship, the Harpy Eagles secured a decisive eight-wicket victory over the Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners, which propelled them to the top of the table with 103.8 points. Their path to victory was charted by key performances from Raymond Perez’s, an unbeaten 79 runs, and skipper Tevin Imlach’s crucial half-century.

Their champion status was confirmed for the seventh time in nine years, after Leeward Islands Hurricane and Windward Islands Volcanoes, played out a hard-fought draw, while Barbados Pride were stunned by CWI Academy.

Dr Shallow lauded the collective efforts of all participating teams.

“The West Indies Championship is the pinnacle of regional cricket and serves as a testament to the rich legacy and tradition of cricket in our region. Therefore, it was only fitting that Cricket West Indies further invested in this level of cricket by increasing the financial winnings to incentivize players further and build interest across the region," Shallow reasoned.

As the cricketing community reflects on the tournament’s outcomes, Dr Shallow expressed optimism for the future of West Indies cricket, as the regional body remains committed to fostering excellence and nurturing talent at all levels.

“The dedication and passion exhibited by our teams reaffirm cricket’s enduring significance and relevance, which we are confident will positively produce more desirable and sustained success at the international level," the CWI president noted.

Final standings

Guyana Harpy Eagles – 103.8

Windward Islands Volcanoes – 98.2

Leeward Islands Hurricanes – 94.0

Barbados Pride – 92.8

TT Red Force – 92.0

West Indies Academy – 71.6

Jamaica Scorpions – 59.4

Combined Campuses and Colleges – 30.2

That he has already represented the West Indies ‘A’ and President’s XI sides, is a clear indicator that he has the eyes of Chief Selector Roger Harper and Cricket West Indies’ selection panel. However, he remains coy about his chances of breaking into the senior team.

“Based on how the season went for me, how the year went for me, I did well in the ‘A’ team also, I can’t say for sure if I am ready. I could only say the confidence is there and I am feeling good and I am bowling well, so once I get the opportunity I will see how it goes,” said the 22-year-old pacer whose 36 wickets came at an average of 18.91.

Notwithstanding his position on stepping up into the West Indies senior team, Holder believes he would have met his goals for this past season had it not been for CWI’s decision to cancel the remaining two rounds of competition while handing his team, the Barbados Pride, the title.

“I am quite happy with the number of wickets I took this season because at the beginning of the season I set myself a target which was 40 and to finish with 36 knowing that they had two games left, I believe I would have got my target or go over 40. Anything over 40 was a bonus for me,” said Holder, who had a return match against the Jamaica Scorpions against whom he took a match-winning 11 for 92 when the teams played at Sabina Park in January.

Holder, who has 76 first-class wickets to his name, credits improved control for his success this past season.

“I have improved in my line and length and also being consistent throughout my spells and finished strong in every spell I bowled this season,” he said.

The nature of the pitches across the region was also encouraging.

“Some of the wickets this season were pretty good,” he said. “I find that there was a lot more grass on them this season than last season. Some were still fairly slow but some were better than others, so I would say the pitches were good this season. The batters had a good pitch to bat on and the bowlers had a good pitch to bowl on so I wouldn’t say anybody’s mind would have been turned off the pitches this season.”

Chanderpaul retired from international cricket in 2016 after an incredible, if unheralded, career that saw score 30 Test centuries and 11.867 Test runs. During that career in which he often played the sheet anchor role in the West Indies middle order, he had scores of 50 or more 96 times, which saw him end his playing career with a healthy average of 51.37.

His tenacity, refusing to give his wicket away cheaply, became a trademark for the soft-spoken Guyanese batsman.

Radford, who had two coaching stints with the West Indies, the last ending just before the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, believes that batsmen in the Caribbean have been lacking in the kind of application shown by Chanderpaul during his playing days.

In the recently truncated season of the West Indies Four-Day Championship, no batsman scored more than two centuries with Jason Mohammed, Nkrumah Bonner, Paul Palmer Jr., John Campbell and Kyle Mayers, the only batsmen to do so.

In addition, only three batsman - Jermaine Blackwood, Kyle Mayers and Devon Smith scored more than of 600 runs during the season.

The numbers bring into sharp focus the apparent inability of the batsmen to remain at the crease for long-enough periods to score heavily.

“Could a player be a lot better if he reined himself in, prepared to bat a bit longer and prepare to bat through the difficult patches?” Radford said during an interview with News Room Sport.

“Someone like Shiv, if you bowled three tight overs, Shiv would play three maidens, but in the fourth or fifth over when you are tired, Shiv would pick you off because he had the patience. For him, the mental capacity to be patient is part of that as well,” Radford explained.

He added that some players have been impatient and eager to play big shots all the time leading to their downfall.

“It doesn’t matter how talented you are, if the all is not there in the right spot, you can’t put it away,” he said.

 “I tell a lot of young players that Shiv Chanderpaul was professional and that’s the mindset you want to see with your young players coming through, this hunger and sell your wicket so dearly; do not give your wicket away and that was Shiv.”

Having seized control of the four-day encounter from day one, the Red Force, through a series of solid all-round batting and bowling performances, wrapped up proceedings and condemned the Volcanoes to their first loss of the season.

Resuming at 10-2 in search of another 176 runs for victory, Red Force lost night watchman Bryan Charles for four, and veteran batsman Jason Mohammed for 14, which left them in a spot of bother.

However, Goolie, who resumed from an overnight score of two, was watchful throughout in his unbeaten 90 off 212 balls, which includes nine fours. He led a decent fifth-wicket partnership with Da Silva to put Red Force on the cusp of victory, before retiring hurt.

From there, West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Da Silva pushed on in an unbeaten 96-ball 53, including six fours, to get his team across the line. Tion Webster, who made an unbeaten 107 in the first innings, only had a small role to play on this occasion, as he ended unbeaten on one run from four balls.

Four Volcanoes bowlers shared the wickets.

Scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 191 (Alick Athanaze 56, Sunil Ambris 35, Kavem Hodge 28, Tevyn Walcott 28; Anderson Phillip 13-4-37-5, Khary Pierre 3-21, Jayden Seales 2-48) and 288 (Sunil Ambris 71, Jeremy Solozano 70, Shamar Springer 40, Ryan John 34, Alick Athanaze 28; Jayden Seales 3-45, Anderson Phillip 2-65, Khary Pierre 2-67, Bryan Charles 2-67).

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 294 (Tion Webster 107 not out, Jason Mohammed 56, Vikash Mohan 52, Kjorn Ottley 47; Kenneth Dember 22-2-63-5, Shamar Springer 3-76) and 186 for four (Jyd Goolie 90 retired hurt, Joshua Da Silva 53 not out).

Meanwhile, Guyana Harpy Eagles registered their second win of the campaign, as they better a gritty Barbados Pride by 32 runs in their contest at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.

Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 436 (Veerasammy Permaul 90, Kevlon Anderson 87, Kevin Sinclair 72, Tevin Imlach 55, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 40, Gudakesh Motie 37, Matthew Nandu 28; Kemar Roach 2-52, Jason Holder 2-52, Jomel Warrican 2-98) and 136 for eight declared (Kevlon Anderson 33, Kevin Sinclair 25, Veerasammy Permaul 24, Kemol Savory 22 not out, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 20; Jomel Warrican 3-32, Jair McAllister 2-21, Chemar Holder 2-40).

Barbados Pride 230 (Jonathan Drakes 101, Shane Dowrich 41; Nial Smith 3-54, Isai Thorne 2-37, Gudakesh Motie 2-38) and 309 all out (Zachary McCaskie 87, Jason Holder 76, Jomel Warrican 40 not out, Shane Dowrich 26, Kraigg Brathwaite 23; Niall Smith 4-87, Veerasammy Permaul 3-66, Gudakesh Motie 3-71).

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).

The 30-year-old slow left-arm orthodox-spinner has played six Tests for the West Indies after making his debut against Bangladesh in November 2012 but he last played for the West Indies in June 2015 against Australia, having taken 18 wickets in his short Test career.

However, with 50 wickets under his belt, this past season at a miserly 12.98 per wicket, Permaul is hopeful that he has nudged the selectors once more.

“Playing for the West Indies is always my goal every season I play, but I wasn’t finding favour with the West Indies selectors,” he told Sportsmax.TV on Wednesday. “I don’t know how close I am to making the West Indies team but I would think after an excellent season like this one I am not far from playing for the West Indies Indies again.”

His optimism is somewhat tempered by the fact that he did miss his target of 60 wickets for the season even though Cricket West Indies cancelled the last two rounds of the West Indies Championship because of the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.

 “I was on track to achieving my goal. I set myself small goals in the process. I was looking to get three wickets per innings that would take me to 60 if all the games had been played,” said Permaul who had best match figures of 15 for 77 against the Jamaica Scorpions at Florence Hall in February.

“I think I had an excellent season with the ball.  I tried to control my economy rate, be patient and that brought my success.” 

At stumps, Jamaica following on after being bowled out for 125 in response to Trinidad’s 302, were 199-5, a lead of 22 with only five second-innings wickets in hand.

Jamaica has been poor this season and Thursday was no different. Resuming on 5-1, the Scorpions were skittled out for 125. They would not have made as much had it not been for their bowlers Derval Green (39) and Jeavor Royal (27) who shared in an eight-wicket stand of 62 that took the side from an embarrassing 50-7.

Tion Webster was the main destroyer taking 5-30 with Terrance Hinds backing him up with 3-40.

Following on 177 behind, Jamaica lost Tevin Gilzene for two but found some steel in the form of a second-wicket stand of 104 between opener Leroy Lugg and Jermaine Blackwood. Lugg eventually fell to the bowling of Anderson Phillip for 66.

Blackwood and Carlos Brown added 50 for the third wicket but then Brown was dismissed by Imran Khan for 16 to leave Jamaica on 162-3.

Blackwood fell to Bryan Charles for 68 as Jamaica slipped to 172-4. Brad Barnes went for 14 leaving Jamaica in further trouble at 191-5, a lead of only 14.

Abhijai Mansingh will resume on 10 and Aldane Thomas seven when play begins on Friday.

Phillip has so far taken 2-21 and Charles 2-68 for Trinidad and Tobago who will be looking to wrap up victory on the third day of play.

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.

Cricket West Indies awarded the title to the Barbados Pride after deciding to cancel the last two rounds of the competition.

However, it was the Jamaican, who came out on top of the individual batting statistics.

The 28-year-old middle-order batsman had a welcome return to the form that saw him force his way into the West Indies team in June 2014. He scored 768 in 15 innings at an average of 51.20. His only hundred was the 248 he scored against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in early March.

In addition to the double-hundred, Blackwood had six fifties that helped the Jamaica Scorpions finish the season tied with dethroned champions, the Guyana Jaguars.

Kyle Mayers of the champions was the next best run-scorer in the competition with 654 runs that included two centuries and five fifties that pushed his average up to 50.30.

Devon Smith of the Windward Island Volcanoes was prolific as usual at the regional level scoring 649 runs. However, he only averaged 46.35 even though he scored a century and four fifties.

Jamaica’s Nkrumah Bonner had the highest average of the specialist batsman and was fourth in the aggregate with 523 runs. After a shaky start to the season, he finished with two hundreds and two fifties and an average of 58.11.

The top-five was rounded out by Joshua da Silva of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force who scored 507 runs at an average of 50.70. He scored a century and three fifties.

However, the player with the highest batting average was the Antiguan fast bowler Joseph who had a decent season with the bat scoring 235 runs at an incredible average of 117.50s. He had two 50’s in the five innings he batted for the Hurricanes.

After being bowled out for 294, Windwards bowled Guyana out for 169. Batting a second time, Windwards were 48-2, a lead of 173 heading into the third day.

Resuming from their overnight score of 292-8, Windwards added only two runs before being bowled out for 294. Ryan John remained not out on 51.

Greaves, Darius Martin and Preston McSween then combined to reduce Guyana to 28-4 with Kemol Savory scoring 20 of those runs. It was a position from which Guyana never truly recovered.

Greaves ripped out the middle order dismissing the recalled Leon Johnson for five and Anthony Bramble for 21 to leave Guyana tottering on 69-6.

Kevin Sinclair and Veerasammy Permaul offered some resistance with a seventh-wicket partnership of 61 that ended when John dismissed Sinclair for 23.

Guyana added 39 more runs for the last four wickets with Permaul being last man out before he was caught and bowled by Kenneth Dember for 53.

Ronsford Beaton who shared in a last-wicket stand of 24 was unbeaten on 10 when the end came.

Greaves finished with the impressive figures of 5-24 from 18 overs while John picked up 2-52.

Batting a second time, Windwards lost the wickets of Jerlani Robinson for three and first-inning century maker Alick Athanaze for 11 before Sunil Ambris, on 18 and Kavem Hodge 13, ensured there was no further loss on the day.

Beaton and Nail Smith have a wicket each for Guyana.

Johnson was 65 not out and shared two successive, significant stands to prop up his side’s batting as the Jaguars closed on 145 for 3 after they had stumbled to 25 for two.

He added 74 for the third wicket with West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer, who got 32, and has added 46 – unbroken – with Christopher Barnwell, not out on 28.

Earlier, Cottoy made 56 and Shillingford hit 53 to give proof that there was a sting in the Volcanoes’ tail after they resumed from their overnight total of 212 for six.

Cottoy and Shillingford became the second and third batsmen to score half-centuries in the Volcanoes’ innings after their captain Kavem Hodge scored 53 on an opening day.

After Cottoy fell to left-arm pacer Raymon Reifer, Shillingford added 57 for the eighth wicket with Shermon Lewis to further frustrate the Jaguars.

But Shillingford was one of three wickets – two to Test left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul – that fell for 23 in 42 balls to bring the innings to a close at 318.

Permaul ended with 4-59 from 33.5 overs and West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo finished with 3-73 from 20 overs for the Jaguars.

The 30-year-old slow left-arm orthodox spinner took 50 wickets at a miserly 12.98s to finish the truncated season with 14 wickets more than the pair of Chemar Holder and Akeal Hosein, who had 36 wickets each.

Holder, the 22-year-old Barbadian pace bowler took his 36 wickets at a healthy average of 18.91 while Hosein, 26, took his wickets at an excellent 20.61.

Preston McSween, the 24-year-old left-arm, fast-medium bowler from Grenada was ranked fourth in the bowling standings with 31 wickets at an average of 22.77.

However, while all four bowlers took their wickets in eight matches, veteran West Indies and Barbados quick Kemar Roach took his 30 wickets from just five matches at an average of 13.70.

Meanwhile, Rahkeem Cornwall also hauled in 30 wickets from five matches at an average of 21.06.

Keon Harding of Barbados with 29 wickets and the Jamaican trio of Markino Mindley (24), Derval Green (22) and Patrick Harty (22) round out the top 10 bowlers.

Permaul also had the best match haul, 15 for 77, which came against the Jamaica Scorpions. Holder’s season-best haul of 11 for 92 also came against the Scorpions while both Harding’s 10 for 76 and Cornwall’s 10 for 125 came against Trinidad and Tobago.

Phillip ended the day with 5-54 from 17.2 overs and was the pick of the Red Force bowlers. A measure of his accuracy was that three of his scalps were lbw, and Dowrich and left-handed opener Shayne Moseley were bowled.

His three wickets between lunch and tea undermined the Pride top order and soon the visitors were scrambling on 73 for six.

But Dowrich led the way with 96 and Nurse made 81, sharing a record 159 for the seventh wicket to turn things around for the Pride.

The stand superseded the previous Barbados record against these opponents of 126 between Keith Boyce and Vanburn Holder 46 years ago at Kensington Oval.

The match, however, was hanging in the balance when stumps were drawn, after Nurse, Dowrich and Keon Harding, who was adjudged lbw to Phillip in the final over of the day, all fell in the final hour with the Pride closed the day on 250 for 9.

Earlier, Red Force, resuming the day on 192 for five, were bowled out in the final half-hour before lunch.

Joshua da Silva added 10 to his overnight score to lead the way for Red Force with 77, but there was token resistance from the rest of the batting. Captain Imran Khan made 23 and Uthman Mohammed added 22 – before the innings closed at 239.

Chemar Holder claimed two of the last five wickets to end with 4-68 from 23.5 overs and Kevin Stoute bagged 3-30 from 20 overs.

Set 186 for victory, the Red Force ended Friday’s third day at 10-2, with Jyd Goolie, on two, and Bryan Charles, who is yet to get off the mark, at the crease.

Earlier, the Volcanoes, who resumed at 68-2 from overnight, were eventually bowled out for 288, as Jeremy Solozano (70) and Sunil Ambris (71) both posted well-played half-centuries, with all-rounder Shamar Springer (40) being the next best scorer.

Jayden Seales led the Red Force bowlers with 3-45, to end with match figures of 5-93, after a first innings tally of 2-48. Fellow pacer Anderson Phillip, who had 5-37 in the first innings, backed that up with 2-65, to end with figures of 7-102, while spinners Khary Pierre and Charles ended with identical second innings figures of 2-67.

However, Pierre’s match figures are 5-88, after he took 3-21 in the first innings.

Scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 191 (Alick Athanaze 56, Sunil Ambris 35, Kavem Hodge 28, Tevyn Walcott 28; Anderson Phillip 13-4-37-5, Khary Pierre 3-21, Jayden Seales 2-48) & 288 (Sunil Ambris 71, Jeremy Solozano 70, Shamar Springer 40, Ryan John 34; Jayden Seales 3-45).

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 294 (Tion Webster 107 not out, Jason Mohammed 56, Vikash Mohan 52, Kjorn Ottley 47; Kenneth Dember 22-2-63-5, Shamar Springer 3-76) & 10 for two.

Trailing the Red Force by 35 runs on resumption, Solozano and Alick Athanaze batted positively to start the day, but the latter added only 18 to his overnight 10 before he was trapped in front by Charles.

However, Solozano pushed on from 30 overnight to post a 192-ball 70, which includes 11 boundaries, as he partnered with Ambris to balance the innings and gift Volcanoes a glimmer of hope of securing victory.

After Solozano went bowled by Seales, Ambris took up the mantle in a more aggressive display, as he slammed nine fours and one six in his 97-ball knock.

When Ambris and Tevyn Walcott (zero) fell in quick succession, it was left for Springer and Ryan John to carry the fight which they did to some extent. Springer smashed six fours in his 40 off 98 balls and John had four boundaries in his 34 off 51 balls, as the innings fell apart shortly after their dismissals.

Meanwhile, Red Force would have hoped for a good start, but the loss of openers Vikash Mohan (one) and Kjorn Ottley (two), means they will have to bat positively on the final day in their bid to condemn the Volcanoes to a first defeat of the campaign.

In other games, Leeward Islands Hurricanes require 301 runs for victory in their contest with Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners at the Frank Worrell Field in Trinidad and Tobago.

Scores: Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners 273 all out (Amari Goodridge 75, Sadique Henry 73, Romario Greaves 58, Yannick Ottley 24; Daniel Doram 4-37, Jeremiah Louis 3-54, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-86) and 301 (Kjorn Ottley 99, Odain McCatty 37, Sadique Henry 32, Zishan Motara 30; Rahkeen Cornwall 4-62, Jeremiah Louis 3-59).

Leeward Islands Hurricanes 259 all out (Kieran Powell 114, Jeremiah Louis 31, Justin Greaves 29, Rahkeem Cornwall 22, Jahmar Hamilton 21; Romario Greaves 19.2-1-63-5, Zishan Motara 2-14, Jediah Blades 2-50) and three without loss.

At Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, Barbados Pride require 312 for victory over Guyana Harpy Eagles.

Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 436 all out (Veerasammy Permaul 90, Kevlon Anderson 87, Kevin Sinclair 72, Tevin Imlach 55, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 40, Gudakesh Motie 37, Matthew Nandu 28; Kemar Roach 2-52, Jason Holder 2-52, Jomel Warrican 2-98) and 136 for eight decl. (Kevlon Anderson 33, Kevin Sinclair 25; Jomel Warrican 3-32)

Barbados Pride 230 (Jonathan Drakes 101, Shane Dowrich 41; Nial Smith 3-54) and 31 without loss.

Berridge snared 5-22 from 10 overs and the Hurricanes swiftly dispatched the Volcanoes, dismissing them for just 51, their second-lowest total of all-time in the Championship.

West Indies off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall grabbed 2-7 from six overs and West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph supported with 2-11 from 10 overs, earning Hurricanes their biggest win (by runs) against the Volcanoes.

No Volcanoes batsman reached 20 and former West Indies Under-19 captain Emmanuel Stewart was the only member of the line-up to reach double figures with 11.

The Hurricanes gained a whopping 22.4 points from the contest, taking their tally for the season to 26.6 and moving them up from last to fourth. Volcanoes, previously second, dropped to third on 32.8, after gaining 3.4 from this match.

Starting the day on 234 for five, Hurricanes extended their first innings until they declared about 35 minutes before lunch, having gained four of the maximum five batting bonus points.

Joseph, coming at eight, again showed his batting prowess to rally the lower-order with a breezy 64 and Jaison Peters added 18 to his overnight score to finish with 57.

After Amir Jangoo was dismissed for 51 to the first ball of the day from Test pacer Shermon Lewis, Joseph played the starring role in a seventh-wicket stand of 49 with Peters and an eighth-wicket stand of 58 with Cornwall to frustrate the Volcanoes.

Lewis was the most successful Volcanoes bowler with 3-80 from 18 overs; left-arm pacer Preston McSween and Josh Thomas took two wickets apiece.

Scores: Volcanoes 138 and 51, Hurricanes 354 for 8 declared.

 The tournament will open with the Windward Islands Volcanoes hosting the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at the Grenada National Stadium (GNS). This match will start on 31 January and will continue on 1 to 3 February.

In Antigua, defending champions the Barbados Pride will start their bid for a third straight title when they face Guyana Harpy Eagles in the feature match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS) on 1 to 4 February. The third contest will see the Leeward Islands Hurricanes hosting the Jamaica Scorpions at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) from 1 to 4 February.

The second round will be played from 8 to 11 February when the Barbados Pride will meet the Jamaica Scorpions at CCG; Trinidad & Tobago Red Force travel to face the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the SVRS, and the Guyana Harpy Eagles take on the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the GNS.

The third round of the West Indies Championship resumes on 15 March with the final round concluding on 1 April when the 2023 Champions will be crowned and presented with the Headley Weekes Trophy. The final three rounds will all be played in Trinidad and the venues will be announced at a later date.

Roland Holder, CWI’s Manager of Cricket Operations said: “We are happy to announce the match schedule and venues for the first two rounds of the West Indies Championship, our flagship regional tournament on the annual calendar. The six teams have been preparing diligently for the upcoming season and we expect to see keen competition this year as they battle for the Headley Weekes trophy. From the tournament, the best performers also have the reward of playing for Team Weekes and Team Headley in the new tournament announced by CWI scheduled for April and May.”

The new Headley Weekes Series will follow the West Indies Championship and will feature three matches and three teams. Team Headley and Team Weekes will select from the best performers in the 2023 West Indies Championship and players outside the starting West Indies Test XI. The new West Indies Academy will provide the third team in the new Series.

Team Headley and Team Weekes are named in honour of West Indies pioneers and legendary batting greats George Headley and Sir Everton Weekes, whose names are also honoured on the Trophy for the winners of the West Indies Championship. All three matches will be played from 18 April to 6 May at CCG in Antigua.

Every West Indies Championship match will be streamed live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel. Fans can follow each and every game from their mobile devices, computers or connected TVs, including access to live ball-by-ball scoring on the Windiescricket.com live match centre.

2023 WEST INDIES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH SCHEDULE

All matches start at 10am Eastern Caribbean time (9am Jamaica time)

GNS – Grenada National Stadium, Grenada

SVRS – Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua

CCG – Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua

ROUND 1:

31 January to 3 February - Grenada

Windward Islands Volcanoes v Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at GNS

1 to 4 February - Antigua

Barbados Pride v Guyana Harpy Eagles at SVRS

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Jamaica Scorpions at CCG

ROUND 2:

8 to 11 February – Grenada and Antigua

Windward Islands Volcanoes v Guyana Harpy Eagles at GNS

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at SVRS

Jamaica Scorpions v Barbados Pride at CCG

ROUND 3:

15 to 18 March in Trinidad – Venues to be confirmed

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force v Guyana Harpy Eagles

Jamaica Scorpions v Windward Islands Volcanoes

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Barbados Pride

ROUND 4:

22 to 25 March in Trinidad - Venues to be confirmed

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Barbados Pride

Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Jamaica Scorpions

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Windward Islands Volcanoes

 ROUND 5:

29 March to 1 April in Trinidad - Venues to be confirmed

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Jamaica Scorpions

Guyana Harpy Eagles v Leeward Islands Hurricanes

Barbados Pride v Windward Islands Volcanoes

Headley Weekes Tri-Series

All matches to be played at CCG, Antigua

Match 1: 19 to 22 April: Team Headley v West Indies Academy

Match 2: 26 to 29 April: Team Weekes v West Indies Academy

Match 3: 3 to 6 May: Team Weekes v Team Headley

SQUADS (Rounds 1 and 2)

Barbados Pride: Shane Dowrich (Captain) Camarie Boyce, Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Drakes, Keon Harding, Chaim Holder, Akeem Jordan, Nicholas Kirton, Jair McAllister, Shayne Moseley, Zachary McCaskie, Shamar Springer, Kevin Wickham; Vasbert Drakes (Head Coach)

Guyana Harpy Eagles: Leon Johnson (Captain), Veerasammy Permaul (Vice Captain), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Matthew Nandu, Kemol Savory, Tevin Imlach, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Ronsford Beaton, Akshaya Persaud, Ashmead Nedd, Shamar Joseph; Ryan Hercules (Head Coach)

Jamaica Scorpions: Paul Palmer jr (Captain), Jamie Merchant, Alwyn Williams, Aldaine Thomas, Leroy Lugg, Kirk McKenzie, Romaine Morris, Abhijau Mansingh, Patrick Harty, Akim Fraser, Marquino Mindley, Gordon Bryan, Ojay Shields; Andrew Richardson (Head Coach)

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force: Darren Bravo (Captain), Amir Jangoo, Imran Khan, Jason Mohammed, Terrance Hinds, Jyd Goolie, Jeremy Solozano, Yannic Cariah, Bryan Charles, Vikash Mohan, Uthman Muhammad, Tion Webster, Khary Pierre; David Furlonge (Head Coach)

Windward Islands Volcanoes: Alick Athanaze (Captain), Jerlani Robinson, Kavem Hodge, Keron Cottoy, Sunil Ambris, Justin Greaves, Tevyn Walcott, Kenneth Dember, Preston McSween, Teddy Bishop, Daurius Martin, Kimani Melius, Nicklaus Redhead; Shirley Clarke (Head Coach)

Leeward Islands Hurricanes (provisional squad): Jahmar Hamilton (Captain), Mikyle Louis, Kieran Powell, Colin Archibald, Terance Warde, Jeremiah Louis, Keacy Carty, Ross Powell, Kofi James, Damion Williams, Kelvin Pitman, Hayden Walsh jr., Rahkeem Cornwall; Stuart Williams (Head Coach).

Needing 99 for victory, after dismissing the Scorpions for 275, TT Red Force cruised to 102-1 in 24.2 overs. Vikash Mohan was unbeaten on 44 and Darren Bravo 14 when victory was achieved. Kamil Pooran was the batsman dismissed for 39 by Jermaine Blackwood.

Bottom-of-the-table Jamaica had resumed from their overnight score of 199-5 with Abhijai Mansingh on 10 and Aldane Thomas seven when play began. The pair would add a further 53 to their overnight stand of eight but were dismissed in quick succession by Shannon Gabriel for 32 and 39, respectively.

The dismissals triggered a slide that saw the hapless Scorpions lose their last four wickets for just 23 runs slipping from 252-6 to 275 all out.

Gabriel ended with figures of 2-52. Imran Khan claimed the last three wickets - Jeavor Royal, Ojay Shields and Marquino Mindley - to finish with 4-47. Anderson Phillip took 2-46 and Bryan Charles 2-75.