Former West Indies Under-19 Captain Kimani Melius struck his maiden century in First-class cricket to put the Windward Islands Volcanoes in a strong position against the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force after day three of their West Indies Championship fixture at the St. George’s Stadium in Antigua on Thursday.
The Volcanoes began the day on 62 without loss after 16 overs, trailing the Red Force by 10 runs with Melius on 39 and Jerlani Robinson on 20.
Robinson added a further three runs to his overnight score before he was dismissed by Khary Pierre in the 19th over, bringing Kavem Hodge to the crease to join Melius.
The pair put the Red Force bowling to the sword with the 22-year-old Melius bringing up his fifty off 73 balls in the 27th over.
Hodge brought up his 14th first class fifty off 116 balls in the 52nd over. The very next ball saw Melius bring up his hundred off 138 balls.
The 69th over saw Melius bring up his 150 off 190 balls, before, nine overs later, Hodge was finally dismissed by Bryan Charles for a 195-ball 80 ending a 209-run second wicket partnership between the pair.
At tea, The Windwards were 282-2, leading the Red Force by 211 runs with Melius unbeaten on 169 and Captain Alick Athanaze on one.
Melius and Athanaze put on a further 43 runs after tea before Melius was finally dismissed LBW by Charles for 192 in the 96th over. His knock came off 269 deliveries and included 18 fours and three sixes.
The Volcanoes ended the day 397-3, leading by 325 runs with Athanaze (49) and Sunil Ambris (42) at the crease.
Scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 243 off 63.1 overs (Tevyn Walcott 87*, Sunil Ambris 55, Bryan Charles 4-46, Terrance Hinds 4-72) & 397-3 off 108 overs (Kimani Melius 192, Kavem Hodge 80, Alick Athanaze 49*, Sunil Ambris 42*, Bryan Charles 2-92)
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 315 off 92.1 overs (Amir Jangoo 86, Tion Webster 79, Terrance Hinds 52, Ryan John 5-18, Darius Martin 2-80)
A magnificent unbeaten century from West Indies white-ball opener Brandon King put his Jamaica Scorpions in a commanding position after day two of their third-round West Indies Championship fixture against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday.
The Scorpions started the day 118-4 with Paul Palmer Jr joining night watchman Marquino Mindley at the crease.
The pair put on just 13 before Mindley was dismissed by Preston McSween to leave the Scorpions 131-5, just six runs behind the Windwards first innings total of 137.
However, Brandon King joined Palmer Jr in the middle and the two put on an additional 30 runs before Palmer edged to second slip off the bowling of Josh Thomas for 15.
Derval Green came and went for a three-ball duck to leave the Scorpions 161-7 before wicketkeeper/batsman Aldane Thomas joined King in the middle.
The pair added some stability with a partnership of 58 before Thomas went caught at slip off the bowling of Sherman Lewis for 20 to leave the score 219-8 just after the lunch break.
Jamie Merchant and King then mounted a stand of 109 for the ninth wicket, taking the score to 328 when Merchant was dismissed for 58, his maiden first-class half-century.
King also scored his third first-class hundred during the stand and was 119 not out off 154 balls in the end.
The Scorpions eventually got to 346 all out, a commanding first innings lead of 209 runs.
Preston McSween was the pick of the Volcanoes bowlers with 4-96 off 25 overs while Josh Thomas supported well with 3-56 off 21 overs.
Kimani Melius and Devon Smith then began the task of overhauling the Scorpions' total with an opening partnership of 31 before Melius fell to Derval Green for 17.
Captain Kavem Hodge then joined Smith and the pair put on 36 before Smith was next to go, becoming Green’s second victim for a top score of 31.
Alick Athanaze was next to the crease and he and his captain looked comfortable, putting on 34 until the final over of the day which saw Jamie Merchant dismiss Athanaze for 17 to leave the Volcanoes 101-3 off 33.1 overs at stumps, still trailing by 108 runs.
Kavem Hodge is currently 30 not out while Derval Green has taken 2-35 off 10 overs for the Scorpions.
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