Hodge’s second hundred of the season leads to stunning victory; Walton, King guide Scorpions to first win
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Jamaica Scorpions secured significant victories in the West Indies Championship on Sunday.
Long-standing opener Montcin Hodge hit his second hundred of the season to earn Leeward Islands Hurricanes a dramatic two-wicket victory and send Guyana Jaguars stumbling to their first defeat in the Championship in two years on the final day of their fifth round match at the Guyana National Stadium.
For “live” scores the matches, visit the Match Centreon the Cricket West Indies website and click the “DOMESTIC” tab: http://cricketwestindies.org/index.php/match-centre/
Webcasts of matches are available on the WINDIES YouTube Channel, https://bit.ly/2E2nEbN, and you can subscribe to receive pre-play alerts
At the same time – Half-centuries from first innings century-maker Chadwick Walton and Brandon King propelled Jamaica Scorpions to their first win of the season with a six-wicket victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Grenada National Cricket Stadium.
The results meant visiting teams won all matches for the second time this season following a similar sweep in the third round.
Jaguars (196 & 269) lost to Hurricanes (175) & 296-8 by two wickets in Providence, Guyana
Hodge cracked 14 boundaries in 127 from 320 balls in close to seven hours at the crease to put the Hurricanes firmly on course for victory, after they resumed from their overnight total of 32 for one.
He shared 153 for the second wicket with former WINDIES Under-19 World Cup-winning batsman Keacy Carty, whose 67 from 193 balls in 3 ¾ hours included nine fours, and later 59 for the sixth wicket with Jaison Peters.
But his dismissal – caught and bowled by Veersammy Permaul – with nine needed for victorty, saw the Hurricanes lose two more wickets to the long-serving Jaguars left-arm spinner for eight runs in the space of 16 balls to slide to 290 for eight.
Peters, not out on 37, held his nerve however, to swing WINDIES leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo over mid-wicket for six to formalise the result.
The last time Jaguars lost in the Championship was to the Hurricanes back in April 2017, with the defeat only their third of the CWI Professional Cricket League franchise era which began in 2014-15.
Jaguars however, remain at the top of the Championship table with 85.6 points and Hurricanes fortified their hold on second place with 59.8 points – 10.2 ahead of third-placed Barbados Pride.
Volcanoes (285 & 198) lost to Scorpions (272) & 212-6 by four wickets in St. George’s, Grenada
Walton followed up his career-best 125 in the first innings with a steady 79 and King supported with an equally resolute 56 to lead the run chase for the Scorpions.
The day started well for Scorpions, when left-arm spinner Dennis Bulli grabbed the last Volcanoes wicket with the first ball of the day to end with 5-54 from 16.1 overs and match figures of 10-148, the first time he achieved the feat in first-class matches.
The Scorpions chased started steadily, but they slipped to 53 for two before King came to the crease and put on 102 for the third wicket with Walton – their second hundred-run stand of the match – to get the chase back on track.
As he has been apt to do in the past, Tyrone Theophile caused a few jitters in the Scorpions camp with his part-time off-spin, grabbing 4-44 from 18 overs.
But Barbadian Kenroy Williams, not out on 36, anchored two small, but vital partnerships to carry Scorpions over the finish line.
Scorpions still remain at the bottom of the table on 32.6 points – 0.4 behind Trinidad & Tobago Red Force – and Volcanoes slip to fourth on 48.4.
-ENDS-
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 eight wickets – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
ROUND 5
Thursday, January 17 to Sunday, January 20
Red Force lost to Pride by 7 wickets – Brian Lara Cricket Academy
Jaguars lost to Hurricanes by 2 wickets – Guyana National Stadium
Volcanoes lost to Scorpions by 4 wickets – National Cricket Stadium, Grenada
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
ROUND 6
Thursday, January 31 to Sunday, February 3
Hurricanes vs Scorpions – Warner Park, St. Kitts (2 pm start daily)
Red Force vs Jaguars – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
Pride vs Volcanoes – Kensington Oval
ROUND 7
Thursday, February 7 to Sunday, February 10
Jaguars vs Scorpions – Guyana National Stadium
Pride vs Red Force – Kensington Oval
Volcanoes vs Hurricanes – Windsor Park, Dominica
ROUND 8
Thursday, February 21 to Sunday, February 24
Hurricanes vs Red Force – Warner Park
Scorpions vs Jaguars – Sabina Park
Volcanoes vs Pride – Arnos Vale Sports Complex, St. Vincent
ROUND 9
Thursday, February 28 to Sunday, March 3
Scorpions vs Hurricanes – Sabina Park
Jaguars vs Pride – Guyana National Stadium
Volcanoes vs Red Force – Arnos Vale Sports Complex
ROUND 10
Thursday, March 7 to Sunday, March 10
Scorpions vs Pride – Sabina Park
Jaguars vs Red Force – Guyana National Stadium (2 pm start daily)
Hurricanes vs Volcanoes – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground
-CWI
