Guyana Harpy Eagles officially reaffirmed their dominance in regional cricket, as they retained the West Indies Championship title after their final-round clash against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force ended in a stalemate at Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday.
While the much-anticipated top-of-the-table encounter failed to produce an outright winner, the result was enough to see the defending champions finish the season with an unassailable 126.6 points, comfortably ahead of the Red Force, who sit second on a provisional 111 points. It marks another chapter in Guyana’s rich cricketing legacy, as they won four of their seven matches this season and showed consistent, championship-calibre performances throughout the campaign.
Scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 240 & 370-9 dec; Guyana Harpy Eagles 463 & 33-0
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, who started the day on 101-2 in their second innings, gave a spirited final push thanks to Jason Mohammed, who returned to his sublime best with a masterful 125 from 186 balls. His knock, laced with 14 boundaries, marked his 17th first-class century and his fourth of the season, capping a prolific campaign.
Despite losing Cephas Cooper early for 28, Bryan Charles, with a gritty 38, added a valuable 69-run stand with Mohammed before he was removed by Ashmead Nedd. Still, the Red Force rallied behind Mohammed, whose partnership of 140 runs with Captain Joshua Da Silva reignited hopes of a dramatic final day twist.
Da Silva, who struck a lively 77 off 79 balls, which included seven fours and three sixes, dominated that stand, but he later skied one from Permaul and was caught by Nial Smith. Mohammed pressed on to reach another milestone before the host eventually declared, setting Guyana a target of 147.
Guyana’s spin duo proved instrumental yet again, with Ashmead Nedd picking up 4-105 and veteran Veerasammy Permaul claiming 3-138.
With limited time left in the day, the Harpy Eagles wisely opted for caution, as they ended at 33 without loss, with Raymond Perez unbeaten on 26 and Matthew Nandu on seven, calmly steering their side to a draw, and the championship.