Scorpions fight back at Sabina Park

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC):

Faced with the herculean task of trying to avoid defeat, the Jamaica Scorpions gave themselves a chance of pushing for an unlikely victory against the Guyana Harpy Eagles, until two late wickets gave the visitors the edge in the West Indies Championship match at Sabina Park yesterday.

Having established a massive first-innings lead of 295 runs, the Harpy Eagles piled on the pressure by declaring their second innings at 193 for three, setting the Scorpions 489 runs to win the contest.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul scored a patient 74 from 172 balls and Kevlon Anderson finished unbeaten on 50 from 85 balls to put the Harpy Eagles in firm control.

The Scorpions lost opener Odain McCatty for five early on, but a 132-run partnership between Kevin McKenzie, who is unbeaten on 104, and Brandon King gave the home side some hope.

They carried the score to 150 for one and looked set on carrying their bats into Saturday’s final day, but the Harpy Eagles struck twice in the final half-hour to gain the momentum.

Pacer Ronaldo Alimohamed had King caught for 53 and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie had Jermaine Blackwood caught behind for a duck, as the Scorpions ended the day on 179 for three, still requiring another 310 runs for a memorable victory.

Elsewhere Barbados Pride and the Windward Islands Volcanoes both registered impressive wins inside three days over the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) and Leeward Islands Hurricanes, respectively.

Barbados thrashed the CCC by 10 wickets, while the Volcanoes blew away the Hurricanes by a massive innings and 60 runs. In another match Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and West Indies Academy are locked in an intriguing contest.

At Kensington Oval: Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican took five wickets to set up a comfortable 10-wicket victory for the Barbados Pride against the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC).

Trailing by 166 runs after the first innings, CCC needed major contributions from their lower order to make the Pride bat again after collapsing to 103 for seven.

Akeem Jordan made an even 50 batting at number nine and last man Chemar Holder finished unbeaten on 20 to help the CCC up to 188.

Their efforts were required after pacer Kemar Roach struck early blows in the morning session.

Roach dismissed Johann Jeremiah and Kalvin Marcus and Matthew Forde accounted for first-innings century maker Damel Evelyn for 18 to restrict CCC to 54 for three.

And when Roston Chase snagged the wickets of Kieran Powell for four and Demario Richards for a duck, they were in even more trouble at 96 for five.

Warrican then ran through the lower order, taking four of the last five wickets to fall, albeit meeting some resistance from Jordan and Holder.

He ended with 5-59, while Roach (2-14) and Chase (2-69) provided good support.

Needing just 23 runs to seal a third straight victory, the Pride then eased to 28 without loss in 4.4 overs.

At Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium: Another below-par effort with the bat by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes condemned them to an innings and 60 run defeat at the hands of the Windward Islands Volcanoes.

Resuming the day on 165 for seven in response to the Volcanoes’ mammoth first-innings total of 480, the Hurricanes added only 30 more runs to concede the follow-on.

Mikyle Louis, who began the day on 82, scored only two more runs before he became Gilon Tyson’s fifth wicket.

Tyson finished with 5-45 and Ryan John took 4-42 to bring a swift end to the innings.

With their batters under pressure to produce a better showing in the second innings, the Hurricanes managed only slightly better to be dismissed for 225 runs.

Justin Greaves led the way with 67, while Louis (39), Cameron Pennyfeather (39) and captain Rahkeem Cornwall (31) got starts but didn’t push on.

Pacer Shadrack Descarte led a balanced Volcanoes bowling attack with 3-58, with John, Darel Cyrus and Kenneth Dember each claiming two wickets.

At Coolidge Cricket Ground: Both the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and the West Indies Academy are in with a shot of victory heading into today’s fourth and final day.

Resuming the day on 167 for five in response to the Red Force’s first-innings total of 304, the Academy owed their eventual total of 268 to Joshua Bishop who scored an impressive century.

Bishop played a brilliant counter-attacking innings of 102 from 81 balls with 16 fours and one six and actually put the Academy in position for a larger total until a late collapse.

From a score of 246 for five, spinners Yannic Cariah and Khary Pierre claimed the last five wickets for just 22 runs to give the Red Force a handy first-innings lead of 36.

The West Indies Academy then fought back to limit the Red Force to 218 for nine in their second innings, an overall lead of 254 runs.