Narrow Pride lead keeps Red Force in the game, veterans brave the rain to bring Volcanoes back into contention
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – A stunning, maiden first-class hundred from Keemo Paul and a couple of early wickets left three-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars eyeing victory over Jamaica Scorpions in the Digicel 4-Day Championship on Saturday.
Paul, a member of the West Indies Under-19 side that won the 2016 ICC Youth World Cup in Bangladesh, led the Jaguars batting with an enterprising 107 on the third day of their first-round match at the Guyana National Stadium.
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At Kensington Oval, half-centuries from left-handers Jonathan Carter and Anthony Alleyne gave Barbados Pride a narrow first innings lead, but Trinidad & Tobago Red Force bowled with discipline to stay in the game.
And an unbroken, half-century second-wicket stand between Devon Smith and Kirk Edwards brought Windward Islands Volcanoes back into the game against Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the Grenada National Stadium.
In Providence, Guyana: Paul struck 12 fours and four sixes from 129 balls and shared successive half-century stands with his captain Leon Johnson and all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford to drive the Jaguars to 315 for eight declared in their second innings.
Johnson made an even 50 and put on 72 for the seventh wicket with Paul before he was dismissed.
Paul added a further 68 for the eighth wicket with Rutherford before he was bowled a few overs before the declaration.
Spinner Dennis Bulli was the most successful Scorpions bowler with 5-104 from 22 overs.
Scorpions, chasing 483 for victory, reached 61 for two at the close with Guyana-born left-hander Assad Fudadin not out on 11 and the highly-touted Brandon King not out on 12.
In Bridgetown, Barbados: Carter hit the top score of 85 and opener Alleyne made 84, as the Pride declared on 310 for nine – for a first innings lead of 10 – about 35 minutes before the scheduled close.
Carter hit 11 fours and one six from 180 balls in close to four hours at the crease and Alleyne collected 14 fours fours and one six from 128 balls in just over 2 ½ hours.
Alleyne held the top half of the batting together, sharing 91 for the second wicket with left-handed wicketkeeper/batsman Mario Rampersaud, before he was one of two wickets off successive balls that left the innings at the crossroads on 127 for four.
Carter shared successive half-century stands with his captain Kevin Stoute and Kenroy Williams before they all departed with the 300-run mark within reach.
It was left to Ashley Nurse to rally the lower order to inch Barbados past the 300-run mark before his dismissal and the declaration, leaving the Red Force six overs before the close under the lights.
Veteran leg-spinner Imran Khan led the bowling effort to keep Red Force in the game, taking 3-68 from 33 overs, Daniel St. Clair grabbed 2-51 from 17 overs and off-spinner Bryan Charles 2-63 from 23 overs.
Red Force reached 31 without loss in their second innings – erasing the deficit to finish with a lead of 21 when stumps were drawn – with Amir Jangoo not out on 19 and fellow left-handed opener Jeremy Solozano not out on 10, setting up an intriguing final day on Sunday.
In St. George’s, Grenada: Smith was not out on 56 and Edwards was not out on 35, as the Volcanoes reached 93 for one in their second innings – still trailing by 17 – before bad light stopped play with 18 overs remaining on a rain-marred day.
The two experienced batsmen made light work of the Hurricanes’ bowlers, after Jeremiah Louis dismissed their new captain Tyrone Theophile for a first-ball duck in the second over and a one-hour stoppage for rain.
Smith, the most prolific batsman in the history of the regional first-class competition, struck four fours and one six from 71 balls in close to the two hours of batting and Edwards collected just three boundaries from 78 balls in almost 1 ¾ hours.
Earlier, Nkrumah Bonner hit 69 to anchor the bottom half of the Hurricanes’ batting before the visitors were bowled out for 343 for a first innings lead of 110.
Sherman Lewis was the pick of the Volcanoes bowlers with 3-51 from 24 overs, Audy Alexander helped to run through the lower-order with his leg-spin, ending with 3-63 from 21.3 overs, and veteran off-spinner Shane Shillingford grabbed 2-94 from 39 overs.