Pride rally with late wickets against T&T on even first day of CWI Championship playoff

The Academy pile on the runs against Guyana in warm-up fixture 

T&T 298 for 7 (Cooper 93, Da Silva 65*; Springer 2-31) vs Pride Yet to Bat 

The West Indies Championship playoff contest, which will determine who will meet the Guyana Harpy Eagles in the final, is in the balance following Sunday’s first day of action, as Barbados Pride responded with late wickets to fight back against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua and Barbuda.

Cephas Cooper’s patient knock had earlier laid the platform for the Red Force. The opener fell agonizingly short of a century, for 93, after seeing off the new ball in a 102-run second-wicket partnership with Jyd Goolie (33). 

T&T then lost four wickets for 76 runs to be restricted to 194 for five, before captain Joshua Da Silva (65*) shared in a century-stand with Terrance Hinds, putting on 103 runs for the sixth wicket. 

Kyle Mayers would eventually trap Hinds lbw for 51 in the penultimate over of the day before Shamar Springer (2/31) removed Khary Pierre for a duck with the final delivery of the day’s play as T&T closed on 298 for seven in 89.3 overs.

Johann Layne picked up 2 for 56 for the Pride, while Amir Jangoo contributed 41 for the Red Force. 

WI Academy 423 for 6 (Clarke 165*, Goodridge 109*; Looknauth 3-86) vs Harpy Eagles Yet to Bat

Elsewhere in Antigua, a breathtaking century from captain Rivaldo Clarke has led a dominant batting display from the West Indies Academy against the Harpy Eagles in their warm-up encounter at the Recreation Ground. The Academy amassed 423 for six in 91 overs, thanks in part to Clarke’s 165 not out.

Amari Goodridge also hit a brilliant unbeaten ton, finishing the day on 109, with Mbeki Joseph scoring a half-century (60) at the top of the order. Richie Looknauth (3/86) and Veerasammy Permaul (3/113) claimed three wickets apiece for Guyana.