In the battle between bottom-placed teams, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force crushed Jamaica Scorpions by nine wickets with more than a day to spare in their West Indies Championships match at Torouba on Friday.
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.
Jamaica Scorpions debutant Abhijai Mansingh, who entered the match as a substitute after Alwyn Williams was ruled out on the first day, played a starring role to help his team secure a tense draw on day four of their West Indies Championship fixture against the Leeward Island’s Hurricanes at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Sunday.
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)
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