Half-centuries from Teddy Bishop and Leonardo Julien led West Indies Academy to a six-wicket victory (D/L) over Jamaica Scorpions in the CG United Insurance Super 50 Competition at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Wednesday.
Set a winning target of 264 after the Scorpions made 263-9 from their 50 overs, West Indies Academy scored 227-4 from 37.3 overs when rain interrupted play. It was the third straight loss for Jamaica who remain at the bottom of the table.
When rain stopped play Bishop was unbeaten on 67 from 67 balls. He hit three fours and two sixes in his knock that swung the match heavily in favour of the West Indies Academy. Julien also played a crucial role in the win with his 52 from 48 balls while Kevin Wickham contributed a useful 37.
Pace bowler Shalome Parnell was the best of the Scorpions’ bowlers with 2-43.
Earlier, Kirk McKenzie scored a match-high 84 and Captain Rovman Powell, 53, as the Jamaica Scorpions put together an under-par score of 263-7. Opener Chadwick Walton (17), Andre McCarthy (15) and Jeavor Royal (27) all got starts but failed to capitalize against the bowling of Nyeem Young who was the standout bowler taking 5-49.
McKenny Clarke took 2-27.
A polished all-round performance by Hayden Walsh Jr saw Leeward Islands Hurricanes to a second-consecutive victory in this year’s CG United Super50 Cup, as they defeated West Indies Academy by 66 runs at Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday.
Walsh Jr, who first hammered three fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 60 off 55 balls, to guide the Hurricanes to a competitive 239, returned to snare five wickets for 48 runs in nine overs which restricted West Indies Academy to a paltry 173 and in the process, handed them their first defeat of the tournament.
Scores: Leeward Islands Hurricanes 239 all out (48.5 overs); West Indies Academy 173 all out (40 overs)
Asked to take first strike, the Hurricanes –unlike the brisk start in their opening eight-wicket win over reigning champions Jamaica Scorpions –were slow into stride, as they lost Kofi James (three) with six runs on the board.
However, first match hero Kieran Powell (33) and Keacy Carty (37), balanced things out before the former’s 36-ball knock which included five boundaries was brought to an end by Ashmead Nedd.
Carty pushed on in his 55-ball innings which had four boundaries, but when Joshua Bishop accounted for his and Karima Gore’s (nine) scalp, Hurricanes were left at 101-4 in the 21st over.
Jahmar Hamilton (27) and Rahkeem Cornwall (14) had good starts but couldn’t click on, as they too succumbed to Bishop’s spin, with the score at 157-6.
But Justin Greaves, who had a solitary boundary in a patient 34 off 59 balls, stood with Walsh Jr to add 66 valuable runs for the seventh wicket, especially as the remaining batsmen, including captain Alzarri Joseph, fell cheaply.
Bishop led the Academy bowlers with four wickets for 27 runs from his 10 overs, while Nedd had two wickets for 43 runs from his 10 overs, and Matthew Forde snared two wickets for 45 runs from 5.5 overs.
The Academy’s chase started positively, with Kimani Melius (37) and Matthew Nandu (29), posted a 64-run opening stand, but when both fell, things quickly took turn in favour of the Hurricanes.
This, as the Academy lost wickets at regular intervals, with Teddy Bishop (27), Nyeem Young (25) and Ackeem Aguste (21), the only other batsmen to offer any resistance to Walsh Jr’s leg spin. Another slow bowler, Daniel Doram, who picked up seven wickets against the Scorpions, took three wickets for 33 runs on this occasion.
In a thrilling clash at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad, the West Indies Academy launched their 2023 CG United Insurance Super50 Cup campaign with a resounding 29-run victory over Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) on Thursday.
The West Indies Academy put on a stunning display of batting prowess, amassing a formidable total of 318-8 in their allotted 50 overs. Their victory was anchored by remarkable half-centuries from Teddy Bishop, Matthew Nandu, and Leonardo Julien. The trio's collective performance set the stage for a dominant showing.
Former West Indies Under-19 standout, Teddy Bishop, was the standout performer, narrowly missing out on a century with his sensational innings of 95 runs off just 75 deliveries. His knock included an impressive 14 boundaries and one towering six. Joining Bishop in the batting spectacle was Guyana's first-class opener, Nandu, who announced his List-A debut in style, contributing a solid 84 runs from 92 balls, featuring seven boundaries and a six.
Julien also played a pivotal role, contributing 51 runs from 67 deliveries, including three boundaries and two powerful sixes. Nyeem Young provided a late flurry of runs with his quick-fire 24 off 14 balls, embellished with three boundaries and a maximum.
Isai Thorne took 3-65 off 10 overs and Abhijai Mansingh 2-55 off 10 for the CCC.
The West Indies Academy's impressive batting display was complemented by a determined bowling effort. The CCC team had a mountain to climb to chase down the challenging target. Despite valiant efforts from their top-order batsmen, including Johann Jeremiah, who raced to 82 off 65 balls before being run out and Shaqkere Parris’ 52 off 74 balls, the combined team could not breach the Academy's total.
Guyana’s Akshaya Persaud contributed 28 runs off 30 deliveries, while Shatrughan Rambaran and Abhijai Mansingh chipped in with 26 and 24 runs, respectively.
The West Indies Academy's bowlers displayed their mettle in defending the target. Nyeem Young led the attack with an impressive 3-80 off 10 overs, while Kelvin Pitman and Joshua Bishop provided crucial support, taking two wickets each.
Pitman's figures read 2-37 off six overs, while Joshua Bishop accounted for 2-58 off his 10 overs.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) today confirmed the squads for seven of the eight teams that will compete in the CG United Super50 Cup.
The Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) squad will be named after their ongoing preparation and selection camp in Trinidad.
The 50-over tournament will officially bowl off in Trinidad on the morning of Tuesday 17 October with the opening match between home side Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and CCC at the Queen’s Park Oval (QPO) at 9am (8am Jamaica).
Also on Tuesday, the Guyana Harpy Eagles will face the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in the first televised match at 1pm (12 noon Jamaica).
The Tournament will feature 31 matches to be played at three venues: the BLCA, the QPO and the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Grounds of the University of the West Indies Sport and Physical Education Centre (UWI SPEC) at the St. Augustine Campus.
Additionally, there has been a change to the match schedule. On 4 November the fixture between CCC and Leeward Islands Hurricanes has been moved from the QPO to UWI SPEC at 9am (8am Jamaica).
The captains of the squads named are: Shai Hope (Barbados Pride), Veerasammy Permaul (Guyana Harpy Eagles), Rovman Powell (Jamaica Scorpions), Alzarri Joseph (Leeward Islands Hurricanes), Darren Bravo (Trinidad & Tobago Red Force), Nyeem Young (West Indies Academy) and Andre Fletcher (Windward Islands Volcanoes).
Johnny Grave, CWI’s CEO said: “The countdown is on to the first ball of this year’s CG United Super50 Cup and we are delighted to announce all but one of the squads for the tournament. The teams have all had an intense period of preparation and we know this will lead to an action-packed and entertaining tournament for our fans – from the first ball on Tuesday to the last ball on the night of 11 November.”
Grave added: “As we look towards the future in West Indies cricket, we are again pleased to have our West Indies Academy players participate in this year’s edition, which will provide them with strong, quality competition along their pathway to hopefully future international cricket. We wish all the teams the best in their quest to glory and being crowned the champions of the CG United Super50 Cup in 2023.”
This year, the region’s premier List A 50-over tournament will run until Saturday 11 November with a new eight-team league format followed by Semi-Finals and Finals to determine the 2023 CG United Super50 Cup Champions.All 13 matches at the BLCA, including the Semi-Finals and Final, will be televised live on ESPN Caribbean, with 12 of those matches being day/night games.
CONFIRMED SQUADS
Barbados Pride: Shai Hope (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Dominic Drakes, Akeem Jordan, Javed Leacock, Kyle Mayers, Jair McAllister, Zachary McCaskie, Roshon Primus, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Smith, Jomel Warrican; Vasbert Drakes (Head Coach)
Guyana Harpy Eagles: Veerasammy Permaul (captain), Tevin Imlach (vice-captain), Kevlon Anderson, Ronsford Beaton, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Kemol Savory, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith; Ryan Hercules (Head Coach)
Jamaica Scorpions: Rovman Powell (captain), Fabian Allen, Brad Barnes, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Dennis Bulli, Sheldon Cottrell, Nicholson Gordon, Andre McCarthy, Kirk McKenzie, Shalome Parnell, Jeavor Royal, Odean Smith, Chadwick Walton; Nikita Miller (Head Coach)
Leeward Islands Hurricanes: Alzarri Joseph (captain), Rahkeem Cornwall (vice-captain), Jewel Andrew, Keacy Carty, Terrence Warde, Daniel Doram, Karima Gore, Justin Greaves, Jahmar Hamilton, Kofi James, Jeremiah Louis, Kieran Powell, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.; Stuart Williams (Head Coach)
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force: Darren Bravo (captain), Joshua Da Silva (vice-captain), Yannic Cariah, Mark Deyal, Shannon Gabriel, Terrance Hinds, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Kjorn Ottley, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales, Tion Webster; David Furlonge (Head Coach)
West Indies Academy: Nyeem Young (captain), Ackeem Auguste, Joshua Bishop, Teddy Bishop, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett, McKenny Clarke, Matthew Forde, Leonardo Julien, Johann Layne, Kimani Melius, Matthew Nandu, Ashmead Nedd, Kelvin Pitman, Kevin Wickham; Andre Coley (Head Coach)
Windward Islands Volcanoes: Andre Fletcher (captain), Alick Athanaze (vice-captain), Sunil Ambris, Johnson Charles, Darel Cyrus, Kenneth Dember, Shadrack Descarte, Larry Edward, Kavem Hodge, Ryan John, Shermon Lewis, Jeremy Solozano, Shamar Springer, Tevyn Walcott; Kenroy Peters (Head Coach)
CG United Super50 Match Schedule:
Venues: Queen’s Park Oval (QPO); Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA); UWI SPEC
Matches in bold are televised matches, exclusively live on ESPN Caribbean
All other matches are streamed live on the windiescricket YouTube channel
17 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs CCC at QPO – 9am
17 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA – 1pm
18 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Jamaica Scorpions at BLCA – 1pm
19 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at QPO – 9am
19 October: CCC vs West Indies Academy at BLCA – 1pm
20 October: Barbados Pride vs Jamaica Scorpions at UWI SPEC – 9am
21 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs West Indies Academy at QPO – 9am
21 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA – 1pm
22 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am
23 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am
23 October: Barbados Pride vs West Indies Academy at UWI SPEC – 9am
25 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Barbados Pride at BLCA - 9am
25 October: West Indies Academy vs Jamaica Scorpions at QPO – 9am
25 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am
26 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at BLCA – 1pm
27 October: Jamaica Scorpions vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am
28 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs West Indies Academy at QPO – 9am
29 October: Barbados Pride vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at UWI SPEC – 9am
29 October: Jamaica Scorpions vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA – 1pm
31 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am
31 October: CCC vs Barbados Pride at UWI SPEC – 9am
1 November: West Indies Academy vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at UWI SPEC – 9am
2 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Jamaica Scorpions at QPO – 9am
2 November: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Barbados Pride at BLCA – 1pm
3 November: West Indies Academy vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at UWI SPEC – 9am
4 November: CCC vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at UWI SPEC – 9am
4 November: Jamaica Scorpions vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA – 1pm
5 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Barbados Pride at BLCA – 1pm
8 November: Semi-Final 1 at BLCA – 1pm
9 November: Semi-Final 2 at BLCA – 1pm
11 November: Final at BLCA – 1pm
Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Tuesday announced the match schedule and venues for the West Indies Academy home series against Ireland Academy. The series will feature three 50-Over matches and two four-day matches in Antigua from 17 November to 5 December.
The first 50-Over match will be at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS) on Friday 17 November followed by the second match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) on Sunday 19 November. The third limited over match will be back at SVRS on Tuesday 21 November. Both four-day matches will be played at CCG – the first starting on Sunday 25 November and the second start on Sunday 2 December.
Graeme West, CWI’s High-Performance Manager, outlined the idea behind the series and the structure. He noted that CWI continues to prioritize the development of players with the aim to prepare them to play at the highest level.
He said: “We are delighted to host Ireland Academy in Antigua for what will be a highly competitive multi-format series. This series is critical in the players ongoing development and education and we are pleased that it will involve both red and white ball matches. 2023 has provided the players with some great exposure through the Headley-Weekes Series, the CG United Super50 Cup and the Republic Bank CPL, so this will be a fitting conclusion to the calendar year and provide the squad with clear aims and objectives going into 2024.”
West added: “These five matches are not being played in isolation, but form part of CWI’s overall high-performance strategy. We want to provide the squad with competitive environments and high-performance platforms that facilitate growth and prepare the players to excel in a West Indies shirt.”
MATCH SCHEDULE
17 November: 1st 50-Over match at SVRS
19 November: 2nd 50-Over match at CCG
21 November: 3rd 50-Over match at SVRS
25-28 November: 1st 4-Day match at CCG
2-5 December: 2nd 4-Day match at CCG
The West Indies Academy players will assemble in Antigua from Monday, 9 October for a High-Performance camp ahead of their participation in the upcoming CG United Super50 Cup.
The 14 players will be under the guidance of Head Coach Andre Coley and Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith during the week-long camp at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG). Following the camp, they will travel to Trinidad to participate in the eight-team CG United Super50 Cup. Nyeem Young, the batting allrounder has been named captain.
Coley said: “We are really looking forward to competing in this year’s edition of the CG United Super50 Cup. The camp provides an excellent opportunity for us to prepare and focus on our white ball skills and certain match scenarios, as we build on the performances of the previous tournament and explore ways to execute the brand of cricket that we want to play as a West Indian team.”
The region’s premier List A 50-over tournament will bowl off on Tuesday 17 October and conclude on Saturday 11 November with a new eight-team league format followed by Semi-Finals and Finals to determine the 2023 CG United Super50 Cup Champions. The West Indies Academy’s first fixture is against Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) on the 19 October.
The event will feature 31 matches to be played at three venues: the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), the Queen’s Park Oval (QPO) and the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Grounds of the University of the West Indies Sport and Physical Education Centre (UWI SPEC) at the St. Augustine Campus.
All 13 matches at the BLCA, including the Semi-Finals and Final, will be televised live on ESPN Caribbean, with 12 of those matches being day/night games.
FULL SQUAD
Nyeem Young (Captain)
Ackeem Auguste
Joshua Bishop
Teddy Bishop
Carlon Bowen-Tuckett
McKenny Clarke
Matthew Forde
Leonardo Julien
Johann Layne
Kimani Melius
Matthew Nandu
Ashmead Nedd
Kelvin Pitman
Kevin Wickham
CG United Super50 Match Schedule:
Venues: Queen’s Park Oval (QPO); Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA); UWI SPEC
Matches in bold are televised matches, exclusively live on ESPN Caribbean
All other matches are streamed live on the windiescricket YouTube channel
17 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs CCC at QPO – 9am
17 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA – 1pm
18 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Jamaica Scorpions at BLCA – 1pm
19 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at QPO – 9am
19 October: CCC vs West Indies Academy at BLCA – 1pm
20 October: Barbados Pride vs Jamaica Scorpions at UWI SPEC – 9am
21 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs West Indies Academy at QPO – 9am
21 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA – 1pm
22 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am
23 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am
23 October: Barbados Pride vs West Indies Academy at UWI SPEC – 9am
25 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Barbados Pride at BLCA - 9am
25 October: West Indies Academy vs Jamaica Scorpions at QPO – 9am
25 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am
26 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at BLCA – 1pm
27 October: Jamaica Scorpions vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am
28 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs West Indies Academy at QPO – 9am
29 October: Barbados Pride vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at UWI SPEC – 9am
29 October: Jamaica Scorpions vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA – 1pm
31 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am
31 October: CCC vs Barbados Pride at UWI SPEC – 9am
1 November: West Indies Academy vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at UWI SPEC – 9am
2 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Jamaica Scorpions at QPO – 9am
2 November: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Barbados Pride at BLCA – 1pm
3 November: West Indies Academy vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at UWI SPEC – 9am
4 November: CCC vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am
4 November: Jamaica Scorpions vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA – 1pm
5 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Barbados Pride at BLCA – 1pm
8 November: Semi-Final 1 at BLCA – 1pm
9 November: Semi-Final 2 at BLCA – 1pm
11 November: Final at BLCA – 1pm
President of Cricket West Indies, Dr Kishore Shallow, believes the early success of the West Indies Academy in Antigua has led Caribbean cricket’s governing body to investigate the possibility of opening similar academies around the region.
“That is something that needs to be discussed as well by the cricket development and performance committee. We’ve seen how productive and fruitful the investment in the current emerging program is to date,” Shallow said during a virtual press conference held by CWI on Friday.
The Academy was formed in 2022 and is based at the home of West Indies cricket, the Coolidge Cricket Ground.
The team, comprising young cricketers from around the region, first participated in the 2022 CWI Super50 Cup where they won one match out of six and finished last in Zone B.
Most recently, the youngsters produced an excellent showing to win the inaugural Headley Weekes Tri-Series held between April 19 and May 5 at Coolidge.
“Recently, we saw them playing and dominating against our region professional cricketers in the Headley Weekes Series and there is absolutely no reservation that investment in academies across the region could produce similar results so it is really something high on the agenda,” said Shallow before reminding people that affordability and sustainability will ultimately determine whether or not these plans move forward.
It is obviously a question of affordability and whatever we do, we have to ensure that these programs and systems are sustainable. One for the committee to discuss and send their recommendations to the board. We will also have to get the input from our finance management strategy committee as well,” he added.
Guyanese all-rounder Kevin Sinclair was the star of the day as Team Weekes secured an eight wicket win over Team Headley inside three days at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Friday.
Beginning day three 67-2, Team Headley only managed to add a further 86 runs before being dismissed for 153 in 63.1 overs, leaving Team Weekes needing just 96 for victory.
Matthew Nandu carried on from his overnight 26 to top-score with 36 while Justin Greaves ended 25*.
Sinclair ripped through the Headley XI batting line-up on the way to grabbing 5-48 in his 21 overs. His countryman, Veerasammy Permaul, took 2-20 in 13.1 overs.
Team Weekes then needed 26.5 overs to reach 96-2. Openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Zachary McCaskie both made 33 while Raymon Reifer and Captain Alick Athanaze finished on 19* and 10*, respectively.
The West Indies Academy emerged as overall winners of the Tri-Series after a dominant win over Team Headley and a first-innings triumph over Team Weekes in their two games.
The second match of the new CWI Headley-Weekes Tri-Series between the West Indies Academy and Team Weekes ended in a draw at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua on Saturday.
The Academy entered the fourth and final day on 378-4, replying to Team Weekes’ 401 all out in their first innings.
Kirk McKenzie, carrying on from his overnight 209* was eventually dismissed for 221 while Kevin Wickham, who entered day four on 104*, made 121 as the Academy were eventually bowled out for 435 in 142.5 overs, leading by 34 runs.
Jair McAllister took 4-84 and Veerasammy Permaul 3-106 for Team Weekes.
In reply, Team Weekes reached 107-3 in 41 overs before proceedings came to an end on another rain-affected day.
Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul managed to carve out a composed 53 off 118 balls while his opening partner, Zachary McCaskie who made 93 in the first innings, contributed 31. Joshua Bishop finished with impressive figures of 2-1 from four overs for the Academy.
The third and final match of the Tr-Series starts on Wednesday when Team Headley battles Team Weekes.
Kirk McKenzie and Kevin Wickham both hit their maiden First-Class hundreds as the West Indies Academy ended day three of their Headley-Weekes Tri-Series match against Team Weekes trailing by only 23 runs at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
McKenzie, the 22-year-old Jamaican opening batsman, ended the day on a magnificent 209* while Wickham, the 20-year-old Bajan, ended 104* as the Academy, replying to Team Weekes’ 401 all out, ended day three 378-4 off 121 overs.
McKenzie’s knock has, so far, come off 365 deliveries and included 25 fours and a six while Wickham has faced 223 balls, hitting eight fours and a six.
Earlier, Ackeem Auguste made 21 and Kevlon Anderson, who got 153 in their first game against Team Headley, made 26.
Jair McAllister and Kevin Sinclair have both taken a pair of wickets, each, for Team Weekes.
West Indies white ball opener Brandon King was a significant contributor as Team Weekes ended day one of their Headley-Weekes four-day series fixture in a strong position against the West Indies Academy at Coolidge on Wednesday.
King made a 148-ball 92, supporting Zachary McCaskie’s 147-ball 93, as Team Weekes ended the day 365-7 off 90 overs. Jahmar Hamilton (57) and Kevin Sinclair (52*) also got fifties on day one.
Entering this contest, King had an average of 34.84 in 32 First-Class games including three hundreds and 12 fifties.
King's last four-day appearance came in March last year when he made an unbeaten 119 for the Jamaica Scorpions against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Brian Lara Stadium.
He spoke about his return to red-ball cricket after the day’s play.
“Very happy to be back playing red ball cricket. It’s been a little while. It was great fun batting out there with no time restrictions,” King said.
The West Indies batsman opener got to the crease with his side 82-3 having lost the wickets of Keacy Carty for 12 and captain Alick Athanaze for a two-ball duck.
He then formed a crucial 136-run fourth wicket partnership with McCaskie.
“It’s 4-day cricket so you have time on your side and you want to try and build a partnership to put the team in a better position,” King said.
“We kept it simple. The pitch wasn’t doing a great deal so we just tried to take as little risk as possible while still putting the bowlers under pressure and it worked out for us,” he added.
Regarding the team’s plan going into the innings, King said it was simple.
“We know that the pitch is generally good for batting and that in the first session the bowlers would get something out of it. Our plan was always to try and bat through the first session with as little wickets as possible then bat the rest of the day,” King said.
“We weren’t too focussed on the number of runs but we knew that if we batted the whole day we’ll get a good score,” King added.
Day two takes place on Thursday.
Half-centuries Zachary McCaskie, Brandon King, Jahmar Hamilton and Kevin Sinclair have put Weekes XI in a strong position of 365-7 against West Indies Academy on the opening day of their Headley Weekes Tri-Series match at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua on Wednesday.
West Indies Academy fresh off their seven-wicket victory over Headley XI last week, won the toss and asked Weekes XI to bat. Tagenarine Chanderpaul and McCaskie laid a solid platform with an opening stand of 55.
However, Chanderpaul was then trapped leg before by Nyeem Young for 25, triggering a minor slide during which Kacey Carty was caught behind by Tevin Imlach for 12 off McKenny Clarke, who dismissed Alick Athanaze in similar fashion for a duck in his next over as Weekes XI slipped from 55 without loss to 82-3.
However, McCaskie and Brandon King put an end to the bloodletting with a fourth-wicket partnership of 136 in 35 overs that resurrected the innings. McCaskie would fall short of a deserved 100 when Kirk McKenzie had him caught by Ackeem Auguste for 93.
King continued on to 92 during a partnership of 39 with Jahmar Hamilton but then he became the third victim of the Imlach/Clarke combination to miss out on his century.
Hamilton than stitched together a stand of 74 with Kevin Sinclair but then was dismissed by Nyeem Young for 57. Sinclair soldiered on putting on 23 with Dominic Drakes who made 13 before he lost his wicket to Kevin Wickham for 13.
Sinclair will resume on 52 on Thursday with Veerasammy Permaul at the other end with the intention of taking Weekes XI past 400.
Clarke was the best bowler on the day with 3-91 while Young took 2-75.
West Indies Academy defeated Headley XI by seven wickets on day three of the opening match of the Headley Weekes Tri-Series at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua on Friday.
Trailing by 64 on first innings, Headley XI’s second innings lasted only 49 overs in which they were bundled out for 122 for a lead of just 58. West Indies Academy then reached 59-3 to seal the victory.
It was the Headley XI bowlers who saved their team from complete embarrassment as Justin Greaves top-scored with 30 and Akeem Jordan, 28, that helped their past the 100-run mark after West Indies Academy bowlers had scythed through the top order to have them tottering at 61-6.
The pair put on 50 for the seventh wicket that helped extend the match after Nyeem Young 3-17 and Kelvin Pittman 3-27 did the early damage. Joshua Bishop (2-18) and Ashmead Nedd 1-20 combined to clean up the tail leaving their batters to chase 59 for victory.
They duly obliged but not without a few stumbles as Chaim Holder dismissed Kirk McKenzie and Teddy Bishop for ducks and first innings century maker for 16 to finish with 3-22. However, Keagan Simmonds kept his cool to score an unbeaten 31 while sharing in a match-winning stand of 20 with Tevin Imlach who was unbeaten on eight at the end.
Scores in the match: Headley XI 259 (Joshua da Silva 136) and 122; West Indies Academy 323 (Kevlon Anderson 153) and 59-3.
Sunil Ambris has been named as the replacement for Shayne Moseley in Team Headley for the ongoing Headley-Weekes Tri Series first-class match against West Indies Academy at Coolidge Cricket Ground.
Moseley, the left-handed opener, sustained an injury to his left knee on Wednesday morning and was forced to retire hurt during the Team Headley first innings. He was unable to return to bat and was also unavailable to field. He is under the care of CWI Medical Staff.
The change is in accordance with the ICC Rules which govern the first-class cricket matches and was approved by the Match Officials.
Headley XI will resume on 27-1 on Friday after bowling West Indies Academy out for 323. Headley XI made 259 in their first innings.
Kevlon Anderson's superb hundred provided the foundation for West Indies Academy to take a 64-run lead on first innings over Headley XI's 259 on the second day of their Headley Weekes Tri-Series match at Coolidge on Thursday.
Anderson scored 153 and Kirk McKenzie, 50, as West Indies Academy made 323 all out. At stumps, Headley XI, batting a second time, reached 27-1, trailing by 37 runs.
The 22-year-old Guyanese right-hand batsman who was on 12 overnight and with Kirk McKenzie (31 overnight) had steered West Indies Academy away from potential disaster of 0-2 to 49-2 at stumps. On Thursday, they had extended that third-wicket partnership to 84 when Justin Greaves dismissed McKenzie for 50.
Greaves then dismissed Tevin Imlach for four and Kevin Wickham for five as West Indies Academy slipped from 84-2 to 102-5. Anderson and Nyeem Young then set about repairing the damage a sixth-wicket stand of 80, which ended when Anderson Phillip dismissed Young for 27.
Joshua Bishop came and went for 12, bowled by Marquino Mindley, who then dismissed Ashmead Nedd for a duck as West Indies Academy slipped once again to 202-8 and seemingly about to fall short of Headley XI’s first innings score.
However, Anderson found a useful partner in Johan Layne. Together they posted a ninth-wicket partnership of 120 that took West Indies Academy past Headley XI’s first innings score and gave them a 64-run lead by the time Anderson was dismissed by Darren Bravo. He hit 22 fours in the innings in which he faced 281 balls.
Kelvin Pitman was trapped lbw for a duck as the innings closed on 323 from 94 overs with Layne unbeaten on 38.
Greaves took 3-46 while Mindley had figures of 2-47. Jordan, who took the first two wickets to fall on Wednesday, failed to add to his tally Thursday and ended with figures of 2-77
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