ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Kyle Mayers celebrated his debut for Barbados Pride with the first hundred of the season against his former side, Windward Islands Volcanoes in the West Indies Championship on Thursday.
The left-handed Mayers, playing his first match for his native Pride after spending the past four seasons with the Volcanoes, cracked his maiden first-class hundred of 106 to lead a batting revival for the visitors on the first day of their first-round match in St. Vincent in the 2019-20 Championship.
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Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul was one of three batsmen that collected half-centuries to give five-time defending champions Guyana Jaguars a strong start to their defence of the title against Leeward Islands in Antigua.
Similarly, West Indies left-hander Darren Bravo was one of three batsmen with half-centuries to lead a solid batting display from hosts Trinidad & Tobago Red Force against Jamaica Scorpions.
Jaguars 210-4 vs Hurricanes at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground
The obdurate Chanderpaul batted almost 5-1/4 hours for the Jaguars’ top score so far of 60 from 240 balls that included seven fours.
He shared three successive half-century stands with fellow left-handed opener Chandrapaul Hemraj, his captain Leon Johnson and Vishaul Singh that dominated the Hurricanes attack.
The left-handed Johnson scored 59 and Hemraj made 52, and the Hurricanes endured a tough grind before the wickets of Chanderpaul and Singh, another left-hander, in the final hour lifted their spirits.
Pacer Colin Archibald has been the pick of the Hurricanes bowlers so far with 2-28 from 17 overs.
Red Force 241-3 vs Scorpions at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy
Choosing to bat, Red Force batted all day with the left-handed Bravo ending unbeaten on exactly 50.
Fresh off a half-century in the CWI President’s XI win over Ireland last Saturday in Barbados, Bravo again looked in great touch and has so far struck five fours and a six – the only of the innings – in a knock requiring 107 deliveries and lasting 2-½ hours.
Former West Indies Under-19 batsman Keagan Simmons has so far hit the top score of 89 on first class debut and left-handed opener Jeremy Solozano impressed with 73.
The only real bright spark of the day for Scorpions came in the eighth over of the day, when seamer Derval Green trapped Kyle Hope lbw for eight.
Red Force were 13 for one, but they batted in partnerships with Simmons anchoring two stands to ensure the hosts dominated proceedings.
Pride (233) vs Volcanoes at the Arnos Vale Cricket Ground
Sent into bat, Pride ran into trouble on 74 for seven after pacers Josh Thomas and Preston McSween undermined their top-order batting in their opening bursts.
But Mayers, batting at seven, came to their rescue with a three-hour knock that included six fours and four sixes off 122 balls.
Support came from only West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican with a defiant 49, batting at nine, and Justin Greaves got a start with 20, but failed to carry on.
Mayers breathed life into the innings by sharing a further 114 in an eighth-wicket stand with Warrican, whose 1 1/2-hour stay included three fours and three sixes from 81 balls.
Mayers reached his milestone in style, clearing the ropes at wide long-on with veteran off-spinner Shane Shillingford before he was the last batsman dismissed, caught in the deep off leg-spinner Keron Cottoy.
Cottoy was the most successful Volcanoes bowler, taking 3-41 from 10.5 overs, with Thomas, McSween and Shillingford all ending with two wickets apiece.
-ENDS-
MATCH SCHEDULE
(All matches start at 10 am daily, except where indicated)
Round 1
January 9 to 12
Hurricanes vs Jaguars – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua (2 pm daily)
Red Force vs Scorpions – Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
Volcanoes vs Pride – Arnos Vale Cricket Ground, St. Vincent
Round 2
January 16 to 19
Scorpions vs Volcanoes – Sabina Park, Jamaica
Pride vs Jaguars – Kensington Oval, Barbados
Red Force vs Hurricanes – Brian Lara Cricket Academy
Round 3
January 23 to 26
Jaguars vs Red Force – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
Scorpions vs Pride – Sabina Park
Volcanoes vs Hurricanes – Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St. Lucia (2 pm daily)
***BREAK***
Round 4
February 6 to 9
Jaguars vs Scorpions – Guyana National Stadium
Hurricanes vs Pride – Warner Park, St. Kitts
Volcanoes vs Red Force – Windsor Park, Dominica
Round 5
February 13 to 16
Scorpions vs Hurricanes – Trelawny Multipurpose Complex, Jamaica
Pride vs Red Force – Kensington Oval
Volcanoes vs Jaguars – Grenada National Stadium, Grenada
***BREAK***
Round 6
February 27 to March 1
Scorpions vs Jaguars – Trelawny Multipurpose Complex, Jamaica
Pride vs Volcanoes – Kensington Oval
Hurricanes vs Red Force – Warner Park
Round 7
March 5 to 8
Red Force vs Pride – Brian Lara Cricket Academy
Volcanoes vs Scorpions – Grenada National Stadium
Jaguars vs Hurricanes – Guyana National Stadium
Round 8
March 12 to 15
Red Force vs Volcanoes – Brian Lara Cricket Academy (2 pm daily)
Hurricanes vs Scorpions – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground
Jaguars vs Pride – Guyana National Stadium (2 pm daily)
***BREAK***
Round 9
March 26 to 29
Pride vs Scorpions – Kensington Oval (2 pm daily)
Hurricanes vs Volcanoes – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground
Red Force vs Jaguars – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
Round 10
April 2 to 5
Jaguars vs Volcanoes – Guyana National Stadium
Scorpions vs Red Force – Sabina Park (2 pm daily)
Pride vs Hurricanes – Kensington Oval
-CWI
