A destructive spell of spin bowling by Bryan Charles ensured Trinidad and Tobago Red Force maintained a strangle hold on their final round West Indies Championship encounter against Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park on Thursday.
Charles snared six wickets for 75 runs in 23.1 overs, including four maidens, as he proved most destructive for the Red Force, who pegged the Scorpions against the ropes at 159-9, after the vistors earlier ended their first innings at a daunting 432.
Jeavor Royal, on 33, and Andrae Dennis, yet to score, will resume batting for the Scorpions, who are 273 runs behind heading into Friday’s third day.
Scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 432 all out (Joshua Da Silva 106, Terrance Hinds 79, Amir Jangoo 51, Kjorn Ottley 45, Khary Pierre 43, Navin Bidaisee 31; Jeavor Royal 3-113, Ojay Shields 2-61, Peat Salmon 2-83).
Jamaica Scorpions 159-9 (Kirk McKenzie 57, Jeavor Royal 33 not out; Bryan Charles 6-75, Khary Pierre 2-46).
Earlier, Red Force resuming on 308-7, added another 124 runs to their overnight total, thanks to Terrance Hinds and Khary Pierre, who put together 91 for the eighth wicket. Hinds, added 58 runs to his overnight score of 21, in a just over two-hour 118-ball knock that included seven fours and five sixes.
Pierre, who resumed on one, had two fours and two sixes in his 99-ball 43, as the Red Force lower order built on the momentum left by captain Joshua Da Silva, who initially revived the innings with a well-played century.
Royal was the most successful Scorpions bowler with 3-113 from 37 overs, while pacer Ojay Shields and off-spinner Peat Salmon took two wickets apiece.
If the Scorpions were frustrated by Red Force’s prolonged innings, then their week got a bit worse, as they failed to contend with the skill and precision of spinners Charles and Pierre.
Charles, 28, first removed opener Javaughn Buchanan (10), and later ripped through the middle order, erasing any hopes the Scorpions had of staging a fightback.
In fact, only West Indies left-handed batsman Kirk McKenzie, who topscored with a patient 153-ball 57, including two fours and two sixes, offered some resistance, before Royal became the second batsman to pass 20 runs. Pierre had 2-46 in 21 overs.
Elsewhere, at Frank Worrell Field in Trinidad and Tobago, Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners lead Guyana Harpy Eagles by 142 with three second innings wickets intact.
Scores: Campuses & Colleges Marooners 200 all out (Demario Richards 43, Romario Greaves 36, Avinash Mahabirsingh 23, Amari Goodridge 22, Jediah Blades 22 not out, Jarion Hoyte 21; Nial Smith 3-45, Veerasammy Permaul 3-51, Gudakesh Motie 2-40, Isai Thorne 2-45) and 165 for seven (Odaine McCatty 56, Shamarh Brooks 54 not out; Kevin Sinclair 2-29, Gudakesh Motie 2-42, Veerasammy Permaul 2-44).
Guyana Harpy Eagles 223 all out (Raymond Perez 62, Tevin Imlach 55, Kevin Sinclair 37, Kevlon Anderson 27; Avinash Mahabirsingh 17.4-2-51-8).
At the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, Barbados Pride lead Cricket West Indies Academy by 21 with seven second innings wickets in hand.
Scores: Barbados Pride 155 all out (Jonathan Drakes 35, Kevin Wickham 27, Shian Brathwaite 26, Demetrius Richards 21 not out; Johann Layne 3-23, McKenny Clarke 3-26, Joshua Bishop 2-25, Ramon Simmonds 2-43) and 109 for three (Kraigg Brathwaite 49 not out, Shian Brathwaite 21; Joshua Bishop 2-11).
CWI Academy 243 all out (Ackeem Auguste 76, Carlon Tuckett-Bowen 49, Johan Layne 38, McKenny Clarke 30; Akeem Jordan 4-76, Raymon Reifer 2-32, Jair McAllister 2-40, Shaquille Cumberbatch 2-75).
Meanwhile, At Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago, Leeward Islands Hurricanes were 232 runs ahead of Windward Islands Volcanoes, with eight second innings wickets intact.
Leeward Islands Hurricanes 300 all out (Mikyle Louis 100, Jewel Andrew 68, Jeremiah Louis 43, Jahmar Hamilton 34; Ryan John 3-67, Gilon Tyson 2-33, Daren Cyrus 2-70) and 111 for two (Mikyle Louis 33, Kieran Powell 31).
Windward Islands Volcanoes 179 all out (Johann Jeremiah 41, Shamar Springer 33, Kavem Hodge 29, Stephan Pascal 25; Daniel Doram 16-5-34-6, Hayden Walsh Jr 3-21).
A fifth first class century by captain Joshua Da Silva rescued Trinidad and Tobago Red Force from an ominous position, and into the ascendancy in their final round West Indies Championship encounter against Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park.
Da Silva’s 106 off 140 ball, took Red Force from 96-4 to 308-7 at close of Wednesday’s first day. The wicketkeeper/batsman struck 15 fours and one six in his knock, as he shared in an 80-run fifth-wicket stand with Amir Jangoo, who continued his rich vein of form with a 90-ball 51 off.
Terrance Hinds, unbeaten on 21, and Khary Pierre, on one, will resume batting for Red Force on Thursday.
Spinners Peat Salmon (2-68) and Jeavor Royal (2-76) have taken most wickets so far for the Scorpions.
Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 308-7 (Joshua Da Silva 106, Amir Jangoo 51, Kjorn Ottley 45, Navin Bidaisee 31; Pete Salmon 2-68)
After being asked to take first strike, Red Force lost Cephas Cooper (12) early, but a 52-run second-wicket partnership between Kjorn Ottley (45) and Jyd Goolie (19), steadied the innings at 81-1, before Salmon and Royal grabbed three quick wickets for 15 runs.
That brought Da Silva and Jangoo together and the two steadied the Red Force innings from 96-4. Jangoo stroked seven boundaries and a six, before he was removed by Ojay Shields.
Still, Da Silva pushed on, adding another 92 runs in a sixth-wicket stand with Navin Bidaisee (31), but eventually went to Royal, after adding 36 for the seventh wicket with Hinds.
Elsewhere, at Frank Memorial Ground in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana Harpy Eagles trail Combined Campuses and Colleges by 86 runs with nine first innings wickets intact.
Scores: Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners 200 (Demario Richards 43, Romario Greaves 36, Avinash Mahabirsingh 23; Nial Smith 3-45, Veerasammy Permaul 3-51)
Guyana Harpy Eagles 114-1 (Raymond Perez 61 not out, Kevlon Anderson 27 not out)
In Antigua, at Coolidge Cricket Ground, West Indies Academy trail Barbados Pride by 44 runs with six first innings wickets intact.
Scores: Barbados Pride 155 (Jonathan Drakes 35, Kevin Wickham 27, Shian Brathwaite 26; Johann Layne 3-23, McKenny Clarke 3-26)
West Indies Academy 111 for four (Ackeem Auguste 67 not out; Akeem Jordan 2-37)
Meanwhile, at Queen’s Park Oval, Windward Islands Volcanoes trail Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 294 runs with nine first innings wickets intact.
Scores: Leeward Islands Hurricanes 300 (Mikyle Louis 100, Jewel Andrew 68, Jeremiah Louis 43; Ryan John 3-67, Gilon Tyson 2-33, Daren Cyrus 2-70)
Windward Islands Volcanoes 6-1
The Barbados Pride completed a nine-wicket victory over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on day four of their sixth round West Indies Championship clash at the Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday.
The Hurricanes started day three 98-1 off 32.1 overs after being asked to follow-on by the Bajans and eventually made 311 all out off 101.2 overs.
Mikyle Louis got his second half century of the match with a 194-ball 80 including eight fours and two sixes while Keacy Carty, who scored 127 in the first innings, followed that up with 69 off 112 balls including five fours and a six.
Hayden Walsh Jr also contributed well with 60 from 92 balls including four fours and three sixes.
Roston Chase, who got a hundred with the bat, completed an excellent all-round performance with 7-67 off 33.2 overs to finish with a match haul of 10-104.
Needing just 58 to win, Barbados lost only one wicket on the way to their target. They finished 58-1 off 10.4 overs with skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, who hit 189 in the first innings, finishing 30*.
Full Scores: Barbados Pride 542-9 declared off 143 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 189, Roston Chase 127, Zachary McCaskie 101, Rakheem Cornwall 5-132) & 58-1 off 10.4 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 30*)
Leeward Islands Hurricanes 288 all out off 93.2 overs (Keacy Carty 127, Jewel Andrew 53, Mikyle Louis 52, Roston Chase 3-47, Shaquille Cumberbatch 3-48) & 311 all out off 101.2 overs (Mikyle Louis 80, Keacy Carty 69, Hayden Walsh Jr 60, Kieran Powell 52, Roston Chase 7-67).
The Trinidad & Tobago Red Force also completed a 123-run win over the Combined Campuses & Colleges on day four at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground.
CCC started the day 67-1 off 21 overs, needing a further 382 runs for victory.
Despite fighting knocks from Damel Evelyn (73), Demario Richards (66), Shamarh Brooks (62) and Romario Greaves (47), the target proved to be too much as they were eventually dismissed for 325 in 108.3 overs.
Bryan Charles and Khary Pierre did the bulk of the damage for the Red Force with 4-46 from 23.3 overs and 3-90 from 40 overs, respectively.
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) & 95-2 off 17 overs (Jason Mohammed 41*, Amir Jangoo 34*)
Combined Campuses & Colleges 238 all out off 77 overs (Yannick Ottley 56*, Kamil Pooran 40, Anderson Phillip 5-71, Bryan Charles 2-30, Terrance Hinds 2-43) & 325 all out off 108.3 overs (Damel Evelyn 73, Demario Richards 66, Shamarh Brooks 62, Romario Greaves 47, Bryan Charles 4-46, Khary Pierre 3-90).
Kemol Savory, Tevin Imlach and Veerasammy Permaul played starring roles to help the Guyana Harpy Eagles dominate the Jamaica Scorpions on day two of their sixth round West Indies Championship fixture at Sabina Park.
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)
Well-played unbeaten half-centuries from captain Joshua Da Silva and Jyd Goolie, propelled Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to a six-wicket victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes on Saturday’s final day of their fourth round West Indies Championships contest at Queen’s Park Oval.
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 Barbados Pride, defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles and the Windward Islands Volcanoes all look set to close out round three of the 2024 West Indies Championship with outright wins while the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force are locked in an interesting battle with the Leeward Islands Hurricanes ahead of Saturday’s fourth and final day.
First at Sabina Park where the Pride had the Jamaica Scorpions reeling in their second innings at 220-8 off 63 overs at stumps, a lead of just 100 runs.
The Pride had earlier amassed 389 all out off 120 overs after starting the day 315-6. Kraigg Brathwaite, who entered Friday 129* wound up making 142 while Shane Dowrich finished with 44 after entering the day 19*.
Derval Green ended up with 4-78 off 31 overs while Peat Salmon picked up 3-94 from 34 overs for the hosts.
Jamaica’s second innings saw a number of batsmen get off to good starts but none were able to get a big score. Abhijai Mansingh has led the way with 54, his fourth first-class fifty, while Leroy Lugg (43), Kirk McKenzie (39) and Carlos Brown (35) also chipped in.
Debutant Shaquille Cumberbatch has led the charge with the ball for the Pride with 4-22 off nine overs while Kevin Wickham has picked up 2-26 from seven overs.
Full Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 269 all out off 78.4 overs (Romaine Morris 97*, Carlos Brown 40, Kirk McKenzie 40, Jomel Warrican 5-62, Jair McAllister 3-69) & 220-8 off 63 overs (Abhijai Mansingh 54, Leroy Lugg 43, Kirk McKenzie 39, Carlos Brown 35, Shaquille Cumberbatch 4-22, Kevin Wickham 2-26)
Barbados Pride 389 all out off 120 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 142, Kevin Wickham 63, Shane Dowrich 44, Jonathan Drakes 31, Derval Green 4-78, Peat Salmon 3-94)
Elsewhere in Jamaica, at Chedwin Park in St. Catherine to be exact, the Combined Campuses and Colleges ended day three 271-6 in their second innings, leading the Windward Islands Volcanoes by just 80 runs.
The Windwards, after entering Friday 359-8 off 100 overs, went on to post an imposing 395 all out off 105.4 overs in their first innings.
Kavem Hodge, who entered the day 131*, carried his bat through the innings on his way to a career best 158* off 251 balls including 16 fours and a six.
Romario Greaves ended up with 5-142 off 38 overs for the CCC.
With the bat, Jonathan Carter almost got his second century of the season, being dismissed for 94 to lead the CCC second innings scoring, so far.
Greaves, who is having a fine all-round showing, ended day three on 62* off 117 balls including five fours and two sixes.
Earlier, opener Damel Evelyn followed up his 43 in the first innings with 56 in the second.
Shamar Springer has taken 2-33 in 13 overs for the Volcanoes.
Full Scores: Combined Campuses & Colleges 204 all out off 71.3 overs (Demario Richards 46, Damel Evelyn 43, Darel Cyrus 6-72, Gilon Tyson 3-32) & 271-6 off 81 overs (Jonathan Carter 94, Romario Greaves 62*, Damel Evelyn 56, Shamar Springer 2-33)
Windward Islands Volcanoes 395 all out off 105.4 overs (Kavem Hodge 158*, Sunil Ambris 120, Romario Greaves 5-142, Jediah Blades 2-35, Govasta Edmond 2-54)
Moving to the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua where the defending champions, Guyana Harpy Eagles, are on the brink of a dominant victory over the West Indies Academy.
The Harpy Eagles entered Friday 165-5 off 65 overs, leading the Academy by 178 runs. They went on to pile up a massive 415-7 declared leaving the Academy needing a massive 429 to win.
Kevin Sinclair, the hero with the ball in the first innings, led the way with a magnificent 165* off 182 balls, his first century in first-class cricket, including 26 fours. Kemol Savory also batted well for a 68-ball 58 including eight fours and a six.
Ronaldo Ali Mohamed and Veerasammy Permaul also provided useful cameos at the end of the innings with 318 and 29*, respectively.
Ashmead Nedd was the pick of the bowlers for the Academy with 5-97 off 45 overs.
At stumps, the Academy reached 161-7 off 40 overs, needing a further 268 runs for victory on Saturday.
West Indies Under-19 representative Jordan Johnson led the way with 54 against 3-32 off eight overs from Isai Thorne, who also represented the West Indies at the recently concluded ICC U-19 World Cup in South Africa. Sinclair has also picked up 2-30 from 11 overs in the second innings.
Full Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 175 all out off 54.3 overs (Ronaldo Ali Mohamed 30, Matthew Nandu 28, Joshua James 4-43, Johann Layne 2-27, Joshua Bishop 2-31) & 415-7 dec. off 112.1 overs (Kevin Sinclair 165*, Kemol Savory 58, Kevlon Anderson 49, Ashmead Nedd 5-97)
West Indies Academy 162 all out off 49 overs (Rashawn Worrell 58, Joshua Bishop 51, Kevin Sinclair 4-45, Veerasammy Permaul 3-15, Gudakesh Motie 3-31) & 161-7 off 40 overs (Jordan Johnson 54, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 34, Isai Thorne 3-32, Kevin Sinclair 2-30)
Finally, we go to Warner Park in St. Kitts where the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force were 285-6 at stumps on day three, leading the Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 104 runs.
The Red Force entered the day 48-0 off 18 overs replying to the Hurricanes first innings total of 318.
Jyd Goolie continued his good form with the bat this season with 64 to lead the Red Force charge so far.
Jason Mohammed (49), Tion Webster (38), Cephas Cooper (36), Terrance Hinds (34) and Captain Joshua Da Silva (32) all got starts but weren’t able to carry on to a big score.
Rakheem Cornwall has led the Hurricanes bowling do far with 3-56 off 29 overs while Jeremiah Louis has picked up 2-70 from 18 overs.
Full Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 137 all out off 60.2 overs (Jyd Goolie 30, Collin Archibald 3-28, Jeremiah Louis 3-38, Rakheem Cornwall 2-5, Daniel Doram 2-32) & 285-6 off 108 overs (Jyd Goolie 64, Jason Mohammed 49, Tion Webster 38, Cephas Cooper 36, Terrance Hinds 34, Joshua Da Silva 32, Rakheem Cornwall 3-56)
Leeward Islands Hurricanes 318 all out off 98.2 overs (Jewel Andrew 87, Kieran Powell 65, Jeremiah Louis 41, Mikyle Louis 32, Anderson Phillip 4-62, Brian Charles 3-81)
West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva has taken the reins from Darren Bravo and will captain the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force for the upcoming West Indies Championship.
Having led the West Indies ‘A’ team on their tour to South Africa late last year, Da Silva isn’t new to the captaincy. However, he will have to also step up with the bat in the absence of Bravo, who was the leading batter for the Red Force last year.
Meanwhile, Bryan Charles was named vice-captain of the squad which includes fit-again pacers Jayden Seales and Terrance Hinds as well as veterans Imran Khan and Jason Mohammed.
T&T will open their campaign against defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles at Conaree Cricket Ground in St Kitts from February 7-10 before facing the West Indies Academy at the same venue from February 14-17.
T&T will complete their St Kitts leg of the tournament on February 21-24 against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Warner Park before returning to Trinidad for two matches in March at Queen’s Park Oval.
On March 13-16, T&T will face the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Oval before facing Barbados Pride at the same venue later that month.
The Red Force will then travel to Jamaica to face CCC from April 10-13 at Chedwin Park before ending their campaign against hosts Jamaica Scorpions from April 17-20 at Sabina Park.
The Red Force will leave for St Kitts on Sunday where they will play three matches starting next Wednesday.
RED FORCE SQUAD:
Joshua Da Silva (captain), Bryan Charles (vice-captain), Amir Jangoo, Imran Khan, Terrance Hinds, Jason Mohammed, Jyd Goolie, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip, Vikash Mohan, Cephas Cooper, Tion Webster, Khary Pierre.
Sebastien Edwards (manager), David Furlonge (coach), Rayad Emrit (assistant coach), Ruel Rigsby (physio), Shane Burnett (S&C coach).
The West Indies finally showed some signs of life on day one of the second Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday.
After winning the toss and batting, the tourists ended the day 266-8, their first time over 200 in the series.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Windies as Australia’s pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins ripped through the West Indian top order once again to leave them reeling at 64-5 at the tea interval.
After the break, a 149-run sixth wicket partnership between Joshua Da Silva and Kavem Hodge provided some much-needed stability to the innings.
Da Silva led the way with 79 off 157 balls while Hodge showed improved judgement from the first Test with a 194-ball 71, his first Test fifty.
“We knew it was always going to be a tough fight against the Australians,” Hodge said in an interview after the day’s play.
“Knowing we didn’t put out a good showing in the first Test, we knew we had to be consistent with whatever we do. It was important that whoever got in try to push on as deep as possible. Just unfortunate that we didn’t see out the end of the day but I’m really happy with the fight that the guys are showing so hopefully we can come out tomorrow and push on,” he added.
Hodge made just 12 and three in the first Test, being dismissed caught behind by Hazlewood on both occasions.
On Wednesday, however, he made a concerted effort to leave the ball outside off stump, an excellent adjustment by someone just making their way to the highest level.
He put this clarity of thought down to time at the crease.
“Definitely! I was the first to admit in the team meeting after the first Test that the butterflies got the best of me but now I’m a bit more relaxed and I can work my plan and enjoy the environment of Test cricket. I’m really happy with the time in the middle,” he said.
“I was more relaxed. Leaving the ball outside off stump was generally my game plan. It’s just like any normal cricket. The more time you spend at the wicket, the more relaxed you feel and you’ll make better judgements,” he added.
It was a similar experience for Joshua Da Silva who also came up short in the first Test with scores of six and 18. On Wednesday, he made his fourth Test fifty.
“It’s always nice to come up against Australia. Best team in the world on paper so to face an opposition like that and score some runs is nice,” said Da Silva in a post day press conference.
“Coming in 63-5, I just wanted to consolidate with Hodgie (Hodge). It was challenging at times but it had periods where it was a little bit easier,” he added.
Da Silva also adjusted well to the game plan of the Aussies. He was dismissed twice to the short ball in the first Test but made the effort to either play the ball down or to duck when faced with those deliveries on Wednesday.
“I knew it was coming after I got bounced out twice in Adelaide. I put on a chest pad this time and decided to duck from a few. Had to change the philosophy a bit because it wasn’t going well. Thankfully, it worked,” he said.
The West Indies faced a tumultuous opening day at Brisbane in the second Test against Australia, with the score standing at 266-8 at stumps. The day/night match showcased the brilliance of Mitchell Starc, who claimed four crucial wickets, including his 350th Test scalp, to rattle the West Indies top order.
The day began with the West Indies winning the toss, offering them a golden opportunity. However, Starc had different plans, dismantling the top order in the opening session. He took three wickets, while Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins each contributed with one. The West Indies' top six struggled to adapt to the extra bounce, with five of them nicking deliveries that could have been left alone.
Just when it seemed like the West Indies might squander their chance, Kavem Hodge and Joshua Da Silva orchestrated a remarkable fightback during the middle session. They batted through the twilight period, frustrating the Australian bowlers on what was considered a good batting pitch at the Gabba. The duo forged a resilient partnership of 149 for the sixth wicket, showcasing excellent defense and decision-making.
As the pink ball softened and the pitch flattened out, Da Silva and Hodge capitalized on any overpitched deliveries, driving with control through cover and down the ground. Despite Australia cycling through seven bowlers in the session, including Marnus Labuschagne, the West Indies' batsmen stood firm, forming the highest and longest stand of the series to date.
Da Silva's valiant effort eventually came to an end when he fell for 79 to a delivery from Nathan Lyon. Attempting to flick the ball, he missed and was adjudged plumb in front. Hodge, on the other hand, continued his impressive innings, reaching 71 before edging to slip off Mitchell Starc.
The lower order then contributed, with Kevin Sinclair and Alzarri Joseph adding a valuable 41 runs. Joseph played the aggressor, striking seven fours in his quick 22-ball knock. However, Josh Hazlewood induced a thick edge off the last ball of the day, dismissing Joseph for 32. Kevin Sinclair was not out on 16 at the close.
Earlier in the day, the top order struggled to display the same discipline. Kraigg Brathwaite was the first to fall, enticed into a half-hearted drive by Hazlewood. Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kirk McKenzie steadied the ship briefly, but McKenzie's aggression led to his downfall as he nicked to slip while trying to cut Cummins off the front foot.
Starc returned before the first break to claim three wickets in quick succession. Chanderpaul, Alick Athanaze, and Justin Greaves all fell victim to Starc's skillful bowling. Athanaze's dismissal marked a milestone for Starc, as he secured his 350th Test wicket, becoming the fifth Australian to achieve this feat and leaving him just four wickets behind Dennis Lillee on Australia's all-time list. The West Indies will look to regroup and build on their total on the second day of this captivating Test match.
Joshua Da Silva wrapped up West Indies' on-field preparations to cross swords with Australia in a two-Test series by hitting a century in their drawn three-day warm-up contest against a Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide.
Kavem Hodge, who is one of seven uncapped players in the 15-man squad, did his chances of a debut no harm with 99, before being bowled by spinner Doug Warren agonisingly close to reaching three figures. Hodge was desperately unlucky when a ball spun out of the rough, hit the right-hander's back leg and bounced onto the stumps.
Another uncapped player, Justin Greaves hit an unbeaten 41 to go with his first-innings 65, which helped West Indies to 315-5 declared in their second visit to the middle, and a sizeable lead of 392. However, they were unable to complete what would have been a confidence-boosting victory, as Cricket Australia held firm for the stalemate at 149-5.
Scores: West Indies 251 for 8 (Greaves 65, Hodge 52, Brathwaite 52) and 315 for 5 dec (Da Silva 105, Hodge 99) drew with Cricket Australia XI 174 (Ward 50) and 149 for 5 (Sinclair 3-38)
There do, however, remain some concerns for the Caribbean side, as Kirk McKenzie and Alick Athanaze, the men likely to bat numbers three and four, both failed again. McKenzie only mustered scores of 23 and nine, while Athanaze went without scoring in the first innings and posted only 15 in the second.
West Indies need more out of the pair in the upcoming two-Test series -which will be contested for the Frank Worrell Trophy as part of the ICC Test Championships -given they are likely to field debutants in Hodge and Greaves at numbers five and six.
The CA XI were able to hold on for 39 overs to draw the game. West Indies off-spinning all-rounder Kevin Sinclair, famous for his somersault celebrations after wickets, claimed three wickets for 38 runs. That will help his case for a Test call-up, as he battles with Greaves for a spot in the Kraigg Brathwaite-led side.
Still, with all of seven uncapped players in their 15-man squad, the possibility exists that Head coach Andre Coley will have to play at least three debutants against a formidable Australia outfit at Adelaide Oval
That lack of top-level experience highlights the predicament Test cricket finds itself in, with Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers the latest West Indies players to prioritise Twenty20 leagues over the five-day format.
West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva is thankful for some time in the middle as he aims to produce a better performance than he did when the West Indies toured Australia from November-December 2022.
During those two Tests, Da Silva had scores of 0 and 12 in Perth and 23 and 15 in Adelaide.
“Just trying to use the experience that I got last year. Didn’t do too great so I just want to do better than I did and get some runs on the board and keep well. Once I’m doing well hopefully the team is doing well and everybody chips in,” he said in an interview after day two of the West Indies’ three-day warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI at the Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide.
The West Indies will enter the third and final day on 137-3 from 35 overs, leading the Aussies by 214.
Da Silva, who opened the batting in the second innings after batting seventh in the first, is unbeaten on 55 while Kavem Hodge, who got 52 in the first innings, is on 44.
“It was nice to get some time in the middle of course. Kraigg (Brathwaite) just asked me if I would like to the top and just have some time in the middle and luckily I took advantage of it and was able to get some time out there,” Da Silva said.
Of the 15 men in the West Indies Test squad, Da Silva is one of only four alongside Kemar Roach, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Alzarri Joseph to have played at least 10 Test matches.
In fact, the first Test, set to start on Tuesday in Adelaide, will be Da Silva’s 25th.
He said he enjoys being a source of information for the new members of the squad.
“It’s nice to be somebody they can ask questions about Test cricket. I’m still learning from them as well. Always good learning on the job and nice to lend my expertise as well,” he said.
West Indies Test head coach Andre Coley says they will be using the opening practice match on their tour of Australia to tighten up in both the batting and bowling departments, as they brace for what will be a tough two-match Test Series Down Under.
The Caribbean side’s preparations for the series, which is part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), will hit another gear when they engage a young Cricket Australia XI in a three-day, practice match at Karen Rolton Oval, on Wednesday.
Coley, working with a fairly inexperienced 15-man squad which boast seven uncapped players, expressed pleasure with how things are coming together, and is optimistic that his team can find success on this occasion. It has been well over 20 years since West Indies las won a Test series in Australia dating back to a 1992-93 series, which they won 2-1.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite is one of only five members of the squad returning to Australia, along with long-standing pacer Kemar Roach, vice-captain Alzarri Joseph, wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva and opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul. The seven debutants are opener Zachary McCaskie, Tevin Imlach, all-rounders Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Kevin Sinclair, Akeem Jordan and Shamar Joseph.
“Everybody wants to do well here, whether they have had experience of playing here in the past, or it is their first trip. It has been a good experience watching them get over the jetlag and then get into the work, whatever it has been on a specific day, and the focus has been good,” Coley shared in a Cricket West Indies (CWI) interview ahead of the warm-up game.
The practice match does not have first-class status, which means both teams can rotate more than 11 players through their line-ups, and this provides Coley the opportunity to better observe the new players in action.
“When you think about Test matches, it’s really important that you are able to bat a day to be able to set up the game from a batting standpoint. On the flipside of that it’s pretty simple for me, if you can get the opposition out before the end of a day’s play, so for me, those are easy markers,” he said.
“How we go about it as a batting and bowling group is where it becomes more specific as it relates to the roles and the different skill sets that each player brings to the table. But we are looking to keep it really, really simple, and these are some of the markers that we are looking to get out of the game,” Coley added.
That said, Coley pointed to the progress made in their build up to the Test match. The first Test is scheduled for January 17 in Adelaide, with the second set to take place on January 25 at The Gabba.
“I am happy with the progress we have made. It has been a gradual adjustment (to the conditions), but at the end of the day, regardless of how the pitch plays and what response we get from the pitch when bowling, each player has to adapt to what is in front of him,” Coley declared.
He continued: “Sometimes the pitch has little to do with it, as opposed to being locked in to what is in front of you. I think we have covered that pretty well in the batting, and similarly, adjusting to bowling lengths and what we want to achieve.
“The ability to hit specific areas has been good, as well as getting a general feel for how the ball moves around in the atmosphere from a fielding standpoint, we have been able to spend some time on that.”
The year 2023 was a good one with the gloves for West Indies Test wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva.
The 25-year-old Trinidadian, who made his debut back in 2020 against New Zealand, recorded an impressive 31 dismissals in just six matches.
Overall, Da Silva has 98 dismissals in 24 Tests.
Of the 31 dismissals, 29 were catches and two were stumpings. Only Australia’s Alex Carey ended 2023 with more dismissals in Test matches.
Carey played 13 matches for the World Test Champions, recording 54 dismissals (44 catches and 10 stumpings).
The rest of the top five includes England’s Jonny Bairstow (30 dismissals in six matches), New Zealand’s Tom Blundell (29 dismissals in seven matches) and Pakistan’s Sarfaraz Ahmed (14 dismissals in four matches).
Captain Joshua Da Silva hit a fourth first-class hundred but it proved to be not enough as the West Indies “A” suffered a 76-run loss in the third “Test” against South Africa “A” to lose the series 1-2.
The West Indians began Friday’s fourth and final day at the Manguang Oval in Bloemfontein on 47-1 off 20 overs, needing a further 374 runs for victory with Kirk McKenzie (26) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (11) at the crease.
The pair started day four excellently, putting on a further 79 for the second wicket.
McKenzie was the aggressor throughout, riding his luck and producing some excellent shots on his way to a 94-ball 81 before he fell to Duanne Olivier in the 40th over. His knock consisted 13 fours and two sixes.
Just one over later, Chanderpaul fell for a toiling 31 off 128 balls including three fours.
18-year-old debutant Jordan Johnson was next to go for nine, bringing Da Silva to the wicket to join Kavem Hodge.
Hodge and Da Silva made things very nervous for the South Africans with an 84-run fifth wicket partnership before Hodge fell for a well-played 47 with the score on 233 in the 68th over.
Kevin Sinclair (23), Akeem Jordan (13) and Shamar Joseph (0) all fell in relatively quick succession to leave West Indies “A” on the brink of defeat, especially because they were batting with 10 due to an injury sustained by Jayden Seales.
Nevertheless, Da Silva continued on his merry way, bringing up a fourth first-class hundred off the fifth ball of the 90th over.
In the end, he was the last batsman dismissed for a top score of 110 from 138 balls including eight fours and two sixes.
Dane Paterson led the way with the ball for the South Africans once again with 4-66 from 20.1 overs while Ruan de Swardt took 2-45 from 15 overs.
Full Scores:
South Africa “A” 274 off 67.4 overs (Khaya Zondo 70, Neil Brand 62, Zubayr Hamza 30, Kevin Sinclair 5-44, Shamar Joseph 3-65, Shermon Lewis 2-68) & 272-5 dec. off 66 overs (Zubayr Hamza 110*, Ruan de Swardt 86, Khaya Zondo 31, Raynard Van Tonder 30, Shamar Joseph 5-76)
West Indies “A” 126 off 42.5 overs (Kevin Sinclair 50, Jordan Johnson 33, Dane Paterson 4-34, Hardus Viljoen 2-43) & 344-9 off 91.1 overs (Joshua Da Silva 110, Kirk McKenzie 81, Kavem Hodge 47, Dane Paterson 4-66, Ruan de Swardt 2-45)
Fifties from Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kavem Hodge helped the West Indies “A” build a small 24-run lead over South Africa “A” at stumps on Wednesday’s day two of their first unofficial four-day “Test” match at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.
The West Indians made 314-9 declared from 93.2 overs after starting day two 46-0 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 28 and Zachary McCaskie on 17.
The pair put on a further 20 runs before McCaskie was the first man to fall for 31 in the 17th over.
Kirk McKenzie then came and went quickly for a duck bringing Kavem Hodge to the crease to partner Chanderpaul.
The pair put on an excellent 110-run third wicket partnership before Chanderpaul fell for a top score of 78 off 150 balls in the 54th over. Chanderpaul’s knock included 12 fours. Vice-captain Tevin Imlach was next to go for 16 to leave the West Indies 196-4 in the 60th over.
Hodge was then joined by captain Joshua Da Silva and the pair added 17 before Hodge was the fifth man to fall, going for a well-played 73 off 151 balls including nine fours.
Da Silva (20), Kevin Sinclair (39) and Akeem Jordan (40) then all added crucial contributions as the innings eventually ended with the tourists leading by 27 runs.
The South African bowling was led by Tshepo Moreki with 3-56 from 19 overs while Dane Piedt took 2-60 from 23.2 overs and Hardus Viljoen took 2-91 from 21 overs.
South Africa “A” were 3-0 off three overs at stumps.
Full scores: South Africa “A” 287-9 dec. off 78.5 overs (Keegan Petersen 59, Tony De Zorzi 55, Clyde Fortuin 53, David Bedingham 47, Jayden Seales 3-23, Akeem Jordan 3-61, Kevin Sinclair 2-64) & 3-0 off 3 overs
West Indies “A” 314-9 dec. off 93.2 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 78, Kavem Hodge 73, Akeem Jordan 40, Kevin Sinclair 39, Zachary McCaskie 31, Tshepo Moreki 3-56, Dane Piedt 2-60, Hardus Viljoen 2-91)
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