ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – There is still more than just passing interest with the final two matches in the West Indies Championship, starting tomorrow here and in Trinidad.

With the Guyana Jaguars having finished their schedule of matches for the season last round and accumulated 154.2 points – they have practically claimed the Headley/Weekes Trophy, symbol of West Indies first-class supremacy, for a fifth straight season.

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The Jags are 23 points clear of Leeward Islands Hurricanes, their nearest rivals, who still have a mathematical chance of clinching the title, as they prepare to face a star-studded Barbados Pride at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

At the same time – Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and Jamaica Scorpions will be aiming to finish the season strongly when they meet at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

 

Hurricanes vs Pride in North Sound, Antigua

The Hurricanes however, face the highly improbable, if not impossible task of gaining the absolute maximum 24 points against the Pride to be able to surpass the Jaguars to be able to take home their fifth West Indies first-class title for the first time since they shared with the Jags 21 years ago.

It would take miraculously spectacular batting and bowling from the Hurricanes to gain all the points left on the table and pip the Jaguars for the title by just – one point.

And, the Hurricanes should not be ruled out, as they have the batting and bowling to get the job done, plus they are playing their best in almost a decade, are on familiar turf and beat the Pride in their first match at the start of the season las December, so they would relish a season sweep.

There also a few personal landmarks that could be accomplished by players on both sides in this contest:

• Hurricanes off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall needs six wickets for 200 in the Championship and 84 runs to complete the double of 500 runs and 50 wickets for the season,
• Pride and WINDIES opener Kraigg Brathwaite requires 117 to become the 21st batsman overall and the sixth from Barbados to score more than 4,000 career runs in the Championship,
• Pride’s Jonathan Carter needs 23 runs to join veteran Windward Islands Volcanoes left-handed opener Devon Smith in the 700-run club for the season and 80 to reach 4,000 first-class career runs,
• Veteran Hurricanes pair of Devon Thomas and Montcin Hodge require 47 and 53 respectively, to also become members of the 700-run club for the season, and
• Hurricanes batsman Keacy Carty has 515 runs and needs 85 to reach 600 runs for the season.

 

Squads:

HURRICANES (from) – Rahkeem Cornwall (captain), Sheno Berridge, Nelson Bolan, Keacy Carty, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Damion Jacobs, Alzarri Joseph, Kian Pemberton, Jaison Peters, Akeem Saunders, Devon Thomas, Terance Warde

IN–Pemberton, Saunders; OUT–Kieran Powell, Quinton Boatswain

PRIDE (from) – Shamarh Brooks (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Keon Harding, Chaim Holder, Chemar Holder, Marquino Mindley, Shayne Moseley, Shamar Springer, Tevyn Walcott

IN–Chaim Holder; OUT–Jomel Warrican

UMPIRES – Nigel Duguid (Guyana), Verdayne Smith (Jamaica)

MATCH REFEREE – Vanroy Burnes

RESERVE UMPIRE – Bernard Joseph

 

Red Force vs Scorpions in Tarouba, Trinidad

Although already well out of the running, bragging rights will be on the line in this return contest between the two sides, as just two points separate them.

Both have played inconsistently this season, leaving them occupying the bottom two slots on the league table, so they will each look to play earnestly to avoid “the wooden spoon”.

For Red Force, a clean sweep of this season’s matches will be their motivation, and for Scorpions, proving there is life after champion left-arm spinner Nikita Miller announced his retirement from this format earlier in the week will be key, along with avoiding the sweep and the bottom slot which they currently occupy.

There also a couple of personal landmarks that could be accomplished in this contest:

• Red Force left-handed opener Jeremy Solozano needs six runs for 500 runs this season, and
• Veteran Red Force leg-spin all-rounder Imran Khan needs two wickets to complete the double of 4o wickets and 400 runs for the season.

 

Squads:

RED FORCE (from) – Denesh Ramdin (captain), Yannic Cariah, Bryan Charles, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Kyle Hope, Imran Khan, Jason Mohammed, Khary Pierre, Jeremy Solozano, Odean Smith, Anderson Phillip, Marlon Richards, Lendl Simmons, Daniel St. Clair

IN–Gabriel, Kyle Hope, Simmons; OUT–Yannic Cariah, Marlon Richards, Tion Webster

SCORPIONS (from) – Paul Palmer (captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Dennis Bulli, John Campbell, Akim Fraser, Assad Fudadin, Garth Garvey, Nicholson Gordon, Derval Green, Brandon King, Kennar Lewis, Jermaine Levy

IN–Campbell, Levy; OUT–Nikita Miller, Jerome Taylor

UMPIRES – Zahid Bassarath, Gregory Brathwaite (Barbados)

MATCH REFEREE – Michael Ragoonath

RESERVE UMPIRE – Kashif Sandy

 

-ENDS-

 

OFFICIAL POINTS STANDINGS

Following are the Official Points Standings in the 2018-19 West Indies Championship after the 10th round of matches.

Abbreviations: PTS-total points, M-matches, W-won, L-lost, D-drawn, T-tied, NR-no result, DP-Abandoned match due to dangerous pitch, MR-match referee awarding match, BAT-batting points, BOWL-bowling points, PB-pace bowling points

FRANCHISES	PTS	P	W	L	D	T	NR	DP	MR	BAT	BOWL	PB
1. Guyana Jaguars	154.2	10	7	3	0	0	0	0	0	15	30	25.2
2. Leewards Hurricanes	131.2	9	6	2	1	0	0	0	0	15	26	15.2
3. Barbados Pride	116.8	9	5	4	0	0	0	0	0	14	24	18.8
4. Windwards Volcanoes	92	10	3	7	0	0	0	0	0	11	29	16
5. T&T Red Force	90.6	9	3	5	1	0	0	0	0	14	24	13.6
6. Jamaica Scorpions	88.6	9	3	6	0	0	0	0	0	12	26	14.6

 

TOP PERFORMERS

Following are the lists of the most prolific batsmen and most successful bowlers in the 2018-19 West Indies Championship after the 10th round of matches.

Batting tabulated under: M-matches, I-innings, NO-not outs, R-runs, HS-highest scores, AVG-average, 100-hundreds, 50-half-centuries

Bowling tabulated under: M-matches, O-overs, R-runs, W-wickets, BB-best bowling, AVG-average, 5w-five wickets or more in an innings, 10w-10 wickets or more in a match

BATSMEN	M	I	NO	R	HS	AVG	100	50
1. Devon Smith (Volcanoes)	9	18	1	745	199	43.82	2	1
2. Jonathan Carter (Pride)	9	18	2	677	149*	42.31	1	5
3. Devon Thomas (Hurricanes)	8	16	1	653	117*	43.53	1	6
4. Montcin Hodge (Hurricanes)	9	18	1	647	158	38.05	2	4
5. Anthony Bramble (Jaguars)	10	14	3	580	168	52.72	2	1

 

BOWLERS	M	O	R	W	BB	AVG	5w	10w
1. Rahkeem Cornwall (Hurricanes)	8	328.2	869	51	6-57	17.03	3	1
2. Veerasammy Permaul (Jaguars)	10	334.2	896	42	5-57	21.33	1	0
3. Nikita Miller (Scorpions)	5	291.5	643	41	7-50	15.68	4	3
4. Imran Khan (Red Force)	9	279.5	825	38	7-47	21.71	4	2
5. Romario Shepherd (Jaguars)	10	257.3	745	37	5-24	20.13	1	0

 

RESULTS OF MATCHES

 

ROUND 1

Thursday, December 6 to Sunday, December 9

Volcanoes lost to Jaguars by 125 runs – Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St. Lucia

Pride lost to Hurricanes by 34 runs – Three Ws Oval, Barbados

 

ROUND 2

Thursday, December 13 to Sunday, December 16

Pride beat Scorpions by 41 runs – Three Ws Oval

Hurricanes lost to Jaguars by 9 wickets – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua

Red Force lost to Volcanoes by 76 runs – Brian Lara Cricket Academy

 

ROUND 3

Friday, January 4 to Monday, January 7

Scorpions lost to Volcanoes by 5 wickets – Sabina Park, Jamaica

Red Force lost to Hurricanes by 245 runs – Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Pride lost to Jaguars by 6 wickets – Kensington Oval, Barbados

 

ROUND 4

Thursday, January 10 to Sunday, January 13

Scorpions lost to Red Force by 157 runs – Sabina Park

Jaguars beat Volcanoes by 8 wickets – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana

 

ROUND 5

Thursday, January 17 to Sunday, January 20

Jaguars lost to Hurricanes by 2 wickets – Guyana National Stadium

Red Force lost to Pride by 7 wickets – Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Volcanoes lost to Scorpions by 4 wickets – National Cricket Stadium, Grenada

 

ROUND 6

Thursday, January 31 to Sunday, February 3

Hurricanes lost to Scorpions by 1 wicket – Warner Park, St. Kitts

Red Force beat Jaguars by 93 runs – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad

Pride lost Volcanoes by 8 wickets – Kensington Oval

 

ROUND 7

Thursday, February 7 to Sunday, February 10

Jaguars beat Scorpions by 7 wickets – Guyana National Stadium

Pride beat Red Force by 4 wickets – Kensington Oval

Volcanoes lost to Hurricanes by 12 runs – Windsor Park, Dominica

 

ROUND 8

Thursday, February 21 to Sunday, February 24

Hurricanes drew with Red Force – Warner Park

Scorpions beat Jaguars by 8 wickets – Sabina Park

Volcanoes lost Pride by 23 runs – Arnos Vale Sports Complex, St. Vincent

 

ROUND 9

Thursday, February 28 to Sunday, March 3

Scorpions lost to Hurricanes by 134 runs – Sabina Park

Jaguars beat Pride by 7 wickets – Guyana National Stadium

Volcanoes lost to Red Force by 190 runs – Arnos Vale Sports Complex

 

ROUND 10

Thursday, March 7 to Sunday, March 10

Scorpions lost to Pride by 2 wickets – Sabina Park

Jaguars beat Red Force by 6 wickets – Guyana National Stadium

Hurricanes beat Volcanoes by 6 wickets – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground

 

SCHEDULE OF MATCHES

(All matches start at 10 am daily, except where indicated)

 

ROUND 1

Thursday, March 14 to Sunday, March 17

Red Force vs Scorpions – Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad

 

ROUND 4

Thursday, March 14 to Sunday, March 17

Hurricanes vs Pride – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground

 

-CWI