ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Pacers Uthman Muhammad and Terrance Hinds shared six wickets and gave Trinidad & Tobago Red Force an early edge over front-runners Barbados Pride in the West Indies Championship on Thursday.
Muhammad and Hinds exploited a green-top Kensington Oval pitch to lead the Red Force attack and the Pride were dismissed in their first innings about half-hour before the close on the first day of fifth round matches in the Championship.
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Consistent batting right down the order helped Windward Islands Volcanoes overcome rain and the experienced spin duo of left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo to keep five-time defending champions Guyana Jaguars in the field all day.
And, Terance Warde and opener Montcin Hodge defied a destructive spell from left-arm spinner Patrick Harty Jr and propped up the Leeward Islands Hurricanes batting against Jamaica Scorpions.
Hurricanes 215-9 vs Scorpions at the Trelawny Multiplex
in Florence Hall, Jamaica
Warde was unbeaten on 53 and Hodge held the top order together with 52, after the Hurricanes chose to bat in the first Championship match being played at this venue in 11 years.
Harty exploited the conditions and captured 4-41 from 22 overs to put the Hurricanes batting under pressure throughout the day.
The visitors could only string together a series of tidy partnerships with their biggest stand of 39 between Hodge and Trinidadian left-hander Amir Jangoo, one of the Hurricanes draft choices.
Jangoo made 35, but no other Hurricanes batsman reached 20, as they collapsed from 127 for four to 146 for seven before Warde anchored successive stands with Jamaican Damion Jacobs, the other Hurricanes draft choice, and Nino Henry.
Pride (209) vs Red Force 52-1 at Kensington Oval
in Bridgetown, Barbados
Greeted by helpful conditions, the lanky Muhammad grabbed 3-47 from 11 overs and Hinds took 3-51 from 15 overs to upstage their Barbadian counterparts.
After the start was delayed by half-hour because of wet conditions caused by rain, Red Force put the Pride on the back foot, after the home team chose to bat.
reducing them to 47 for six inside the first hour after lunch.
Kevin Stoute led a rearguard for the Pride, however, hitting the top score of 53, Ashley Nurse made 48 and West Indies pacer Kemar Roach added 38 to add some beef to the total.
Stoute and Roach combined for the most stable period of the innings, putting on 87 for the seventh wicket.
Pride’s pacers failed to get the same response from the pitch and Red Force made a steady start before bad light stopped play.
Former West Indies Under-19 World Cup-winning fast bowler Chemar Holder took his 20th scalp for the season, when he claimed opener Joshua da Silva lbw for 13, the only wicket the visitors lost in close to 1-1/2 hours before stumps were drawn.
Volcanoes 210-6 vs Jaguars at the National Cricket Stadium
in St. George’s, Grenada
Permaul, the leading bowler so far this season, took 2-39 from 26 overs and Bishoo bagged 2-43 from 16 overs, but several Volcanoes batsmen got starts without carrying on.
Keron Cottoy has led the way so far with 37 not out, Devon Smith supported with 35, Guyanese Bhaskar Yadram, one of the Volcanoes’ draft choices, scored 30, Kavem Hodge added 29 and Andre Fletcher got 27.
There were no significant partnerships for the Volcanoes, after they were put into bat.
But stands of 44 between Hodge and Fletcher for the third wicket, and 46 for the sixth wicket between Cottoy and Emmanuel Stewart stabilised the batting.
-ENDS-
MATCH RESULTS
Round 1
January 9 to 12
Hurricanes lost to Jaguars by 10 wickets – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua Scorecard
Red Force drew with Scorpions – Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad Scorecard
Volcanoes beat Pride by three wickets – Arnos Vale Cricket Ground, St. Vincent Scorecard
Round 2
January 16 to 19
Scorpions drew with Volcanoes – Sabina Park, Jamaica Scorecard
Pride beat Jaguars by 7 wickets – Kensington Oval, Barbados Scorecard
Red Force beat Hurricanes by an innings and 168 runs – Brian Lara Cricket Academy Scorecard
Round 3
January 23 to 26
Scorpions lost to Pride by 119 runs – Sabina Park Scorecard
Jaguars beat Red Force by 219 runs – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana Scorecard
Volcanoes lost to Hurricanes by – Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St. Lucia Scorecard
Round 4
February 6 to 9
Jaguars lost to Scorpions by seven runs – Guyana National Stadium Scorecard
Volcanoes vs Red Force – Windsor Park, Dominica Scorecard
February 7 to 10
Hurricanes lost to Pride by an innings and 81 runs – Warner Park, St. Kitts Scorecard
MATCH SCHEDULE
(All matches start at 10 am daily, except where indicated in brackets)
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 (9:30 a.m. daily)
Round 8
March 12 to 15
Red Force vs Volcanoes – Brian Lara Cricket Academy (2 p.m. daily)
Hurricanes vs Scorpions – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground
Jaguars vs Pride – Guyana National Stadium (2 p.m. daily)
***BREAK***
Round 9
March 26 to 29
Jaguars vs Volcanoes – Guyana National Stadium (9:30 a.m. daily)
Scorpions vs Red Force – Sabina Park (2 p.m. daily)
Pride vs Hurricanes – Kensington Oval
Round 10
April 2 to 5
Pride vs Scorpions – Kensington Oval (2 p.m. daily)
Hurricanes vs Volcanoes – Warner Park
Red Force vs Jaguars – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
-CWI
