Ryan John (center) has so far taken 5-43 and made 57 in the match.
The Windward Islands Volcanoes are firmly in the drivers’ seat at the halfway stage of their 2024 West Indies Championship opening round fixture against the Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park in Kingston.
The Volcanoes started day two 157-2 off 41 overs trailing the Scorpions by just two runs and looking to build a substantial first innings lead on Thursday.
The pair at the crease for the Windwards, Johann Jeremiah and Sunil Ambris, carried the score up to 180 in the 52nd over before Ambris was dismissed by Peat Salmon for a 75-ball 45.
The Scorpions then built some much-needed momentum going into the lunch break with the wickets of Jeremiah, Shadrack Descarte and Tevyn Walcott leaving the Volcanoes 219-6 at lunch, leading by 60 runs.
Jeremiah, who entered day two unbeaten on 66, eventually made 80 off 115 balls including 11 fours and a six while Descarte and Walcott made one and 20, respectively.
The post-lunch session, however, was anything but fruitful for the Scorpions as Shamar Springer and Ryan John, the pair who did most of the damage with the ball in the Scorpions first innings, repeated their exploits with the bat.
The pair batted excellently on their way to a 118-run seventh-wicket partnership that killed all the momentum the Scorpions may have built before lunch.
The partnership was finally ended when John went caught off the bowling of Gordon Bryan for 57 to leave the Windwards 328-7 off 97 overs at tea.
His knock lasted 85 balls and included five fours and three sixes.
Shortly after the resumption, Springer was next to fall for a well-compiled 131-ball 71 including seven fours.
Shermon Lewis and Darius Martin fell soon after as the Volcanoes were bowled out for 341 off 105.2 overs, a lead of 182 runs on first innings.
Pacer Gordon Bryan led the way with the ball for the hosts with 4-64 from 23 overs while Peat Salmon took 3-78 from 31 overs with his off-spin. Marquino Mindley also chipped in with 2-60 from 22.2 overs.
The Scorpions reply then got off to a less than ideal start as, for the second time in the contest, their top three failed to significantly contribute.
Carlos Brown and Kirk McKenzie both fell to Darius Martin in the second over of the innings without troubling the scorers before, seven overs later, the Scorpions were three down with just 34 runs on the board after Chadwick Walton was bowled by Martin for 20.
Nkrumah Bonner and Captain Jermaine Blackwood then tried to lead the Scorpions recovery with a 36-run fourth-wicket partnership before Blackwood went for 16 with just 15 minutes left in the day’s play.
In the end, the Scorpions were 76-4 at stumps, trailing by 106 runs with Nkrumah Bonner on 36 and Gordon Bryan on one.
Darius Martin has taken 3-29 off seven overs for the Volcanoes.
Full Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 159 all out off 41 overs (Romaine Morris 35, Peat Salmon 26, Ryan John 5-43, Shamar Springer 3-53) & 76-4 off 18 overs (Nkrumah Bonner 36*, Chadwick Walton 20, Darius Martin 3-29)
Windward Islands Volcanoes 341 all out off 105.2 overs (Johann Jeremiah 80, Shamar Springer 71, Ryan John 57, Sunil Ambris 45, Gordon Bryan 4-64, Peat Salmon 3-78, Marquino Mindley 2-60)
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Windies fall short as Salt's unbeaten century guides England to eight-wicket win in record chase
England once again showcased their firepower in securing an eight-wicket victory over West Indies in the first of their five T20 internationals, thanks largely to Phil Salt’s brutal unbeaten century in what was a thrilling contest at Kensington Oval on Saturday.
Salt’s blistering 103 off 54 balls, which featured nine boundaries and two sixes, set the stage for England’s successful pursuit of the 182-9 set by West Indies—the highest run chase ever achieved at the venue—as they comfortably got to 183-2 with 19 balls to spare.
He was well supported by Jacob Bethell, who carved out his maiden T20 half-century, finishing with a splendid 58 off 36 deliveries in what was a deeply meaningful knock.
Bethell, 21, became the youngest player to reach this milestone in this format for England, at a venue close to his heart as he spent his early years in Barbados.
Scores: West Indies 182-9 (20 overs); England 183-2 (16.5 overs)
Sent in to bat first, West Indies struggled early, with wickets tumbling at regular intervals. Seamer Saqib Mahmood dismantled the top order as he accounted for Brandon King (3), Evin Lewis (13), and Shimron Hetmyer (zero), while spinner Adil Rashid snared the scalps of captain Rovman Powell (18) and Sherfane Rutherford (two) to leave the Caribbean side 69-5 in the ninth over.
However, Andre Russell smashed four sixes in a 17-ball 30, and Nicholas Pooran (38) initiated a gritty recovery, putting together a 39-run partnership that began to stabilize the innings. Pooran had two sixes and three fours in his 29-ball knock.
When both fell in quick succession, Romario Shepherd, who was left unbeaten on 35, and Gudakesh Motie (33) came to the rescue with an invaluable 49-run stand for the ninth wicket, which boosted West Indies to a respectable 182-9.
Motie used 14 balls for his knock, which had four boundaries and two sixes, while Shepherd had three fours and two sixes in his 22-ball innings.
Mahmood ended with 4-34, and Rashid (3-32).
Despite the late fightback, West Indies’ total was put into perspective by Salt’s heroics. His century marked his third against the Caribbean side and proved to be a masterclass in chasing under pressure.
Salt, along with opening partner Will Jacks (17), added a solid 73 runs before the latter was cleaned up by Motie. The defining moment, however, was the seamless 107-run partnership with Bethell, as the two took West Indies bowlers to task to seal a comprehensive win.
The second encounter is scheduled for Sunday, as West Indies will be looking to regroup and rebound to level the series.
Jangoo continues red hot form with 111 to lead Red Force to 45-run DLS method win over Harpy Eagles
Amir Jangoo’s red hot form in this season’s CG United Super50 Cup continued on Saturday with a maiden List A century to lead his team to a 45-run DLS method win over the Guyana Harpy Eagles at the Queen’s Park Oval.
In a match reduced to 45 overs-per-side, Jangoo, coming off scores of 96 and 70*, led the way with 111 off 114 balls to help the defending champions post an imposing 288-3 in their 45 overs.
The left-hander’s innings included 10 fours and two sixes. Jyd Goolie and Kjorn Ottley also got half centuries with 68* off 51 balls and 66 off 86 balls, respectively.
The Harpy Eagles were then reduced to 201-7 off 39 overs when the game was called off for bad light with them 45 runs short of the DLS par score.
Kemol Savory was left stranded on 69* off 92 balls. Anderson Phillip took 2-37 from six overs while Bryan Charles took 2-40 off nine overs.
Full Scores:
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 288-3 off 45 overs (Amir Jangoo 111, Jyd Goolie 68, Kjorn Ottley 66)
Guyana Harpy Eagles 201-7 off 39 overs (Kemol Savory 69*, Kevlon Anderson 32, Anderson Phillip 2-37, Bryan Charles 2-37)
The win moves the Red Force back to the top of the points standings with 48 from five games, 10 points ahead of the Leeward Islands Hurricanes and 14 ahead of the Barbados Pride in third.
The Harpy Eagles are four points ahead of the Jamaica Scorpions in fourth with 28.
Spinners star as Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by four wickets in opening T20I
Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the first T20I of their two-match series in Dambulla.
Captain Charith Asalanka scored an unbeaten 35 to help the hosts go past the 136-run target set by the Black Caps with an over to spare.
After losing opener Kusal Mendis for a duck in the second over, Kusal Perera hit a quick 23 runs off 15 balls, while Kamindu Mendis also added the same amount to the scoreboard as Sri Lanka eased to victory despite losing six wickets.
The tourists had struggled on a surface that aided Sri Lanka's spinners, with Dunith Wellalage (3-20), Wanindu Hasaranga (2-20) and Maheesh Theekshana (1-21) picking up six wickets between them.
All-rounder Zakary Foulkes, who went on to get his career-best T20I figures of 3-20 with the ball, and Michael Bracewell both scored 27 runs for a youthful New Zealand side, which ultimately lost wickets at regular intervals and could not mount the big score needed to truly test Sri Lanka.
The two sides will meet again in the second and T20I match on Sunday before the first of the three one-day internationals at the same venue on Wednesday.
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