TAROUBA, Trinidad, (CMC) – Spin bowling triumvirate Jomel Warrican, Hayden Walsh, Jr and Kenroy Williams reversed decades of heartaches for Barbados Pride batsmen, when they bowled the visitors to a 207-run victory over Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in the Regional 4-Day Championship on Sunday. Left-arm spinner Warrican was the most impactful, grabbing 3-13 from 12 overs to finish with match figures of 9-84 to earn the Player-of-the-Match award, as the Red Force, chasing 324 for victory, were bowled out for 116 just before tea on the final day of their seventh-round match at the Brian Lara Cricket Ground.Leg-spinner Walsh took 3-41 from 14 overs, and Williams bagged 3-46 from 21.5 overs and had the privilege of formalising the result when he had Bryan Charles caught at slip for 13.
GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC) — Windward Islands Volcanoes needed just over an hour to beat Jamaica Scorpions by 119 runs and post their first win of the Regional Four-Day Championship here yesterday. Resuming the final day of the seventh-round encounter at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground requiring three wickets for victory with the visitors needing an improbable 197 runs, Volcanoes dismissed Scorpions for 279 in their second innings. They were inspired by seamer Kyle Mayers who added two of the three wickets to fall to his tally, to end with five for 92, while speedster Delorn Johnson picked up two for 71. Volcanoes were held up by Fabien Allen who hit 42 and Odean Smith, 41, as the pair put on 54 for the ninth wicket, but once the pair were separated, the last two wickets fell in successive overs with the total on 279.
St John’s, ANTIGUA – Cricket West Indies is reporting three consecutive years of surplus following its achievement of the target set for the financial year (2016 to 2017) which ended, September 30.
President, Dave Cameron remains optimistic that “the policies in place and the newly formulated strategic plan will continue to keep the organization’s financial management efficient, even as we look ahead to what could be considered a difficult year ahead up to September 2018.”
The Board of Directors, at its last quarterly meeting for 2017, held in Nevis, December 2 – 3, has accepted the recommendations for the five-year strategic plan which seeks to:
Produce world class players and winning teams Unlock the full potential of the Windies brand Achieve equity of opportunities throughout the sport in the region Increase the number of Caribbean people involved in the playing of the sport
The focus of the five-year plan has been informed by a series of stakeholder consultations with the policy and operational teams which examined both the internal and external environments of the organization.
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As early as January, the organization will make a series of key announcements regarding new player contracts, a player registration system, venues for the region’s hosting of the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Championship and the push towards the strengthening of the regional competitions in all formats.
The next quarterly meeting for the Board of Directors is due in March 2018.
The T&T Red Force bowlers fought well, after a brilliant century from skipper Denesh Ramdin, prevented the follow-on against the Barbados Pride, but at the end of the third day’s play of the CWI, Digicel PCL clash at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, the home team were up against it.
Barbados batting a second time with a first innings lead of 102 runs, closed the day on 188 for seven, for an overall lead of 290 going into the final day today. Earlier, Ramdin scored his 15th First Class hundred to ensure that T&T got past the 167 run follow on mark, eventually dismissed for 213.
Following that, the local bowlers then went to battle and did well but having the comfort of a first innings lead of 102, the Barbadians are still out front.
Devon Smith duly landed another Windies first-class batting record and the Windward Islands Volcanoes, led by Kyle Mayers, carried them to within reach of their first victory of the season against Jamaica Scorpions at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
Smith became the first batsman to score hundreds in each innings of a Windies first-class match twice in the modern era (1966 onwards), when he slammed 154 in the Volcanoes’ second innings to leave Scorpions with a victory target of 398.
The veteran left-handed opener collected 13 boundaries from 279 balls in his close to six-hour stay at the crease which has carried his aggregate for the season to 873 – leaving him 195 shy of the single-season record set eight years ago by former Windies left-hander Narsingh Deonarine.
Smith completed a 90-run stand with Roland Cato that added beef to the Volcanoes’ total, but once the latter fell for 47, there was little stability from the rest of the batting with Smith typically controlling the tempo before he was the last man out.
Windies “A” Team leg-spinner Damion Jacobs was the most successful Scorpions bowler, taking 5-51 from 22.5 overs, and fast bowling newcomer Christopher Lamont supported with 3-49 from 22 overs.
An opening burst from left-arm fast bowler Delorn Johnson condemned the Scorpions to a shaky start before Brandon King hit 88 and their captain Paul Palmer made 46, sharing 115 for the fourth wicket.
But Mayers bagged them both and later trapped Derval Green lbw for two, ending the day with 3-52 from 15 overs, to swing the match decisively.
Trailing by 268 on first innings, the tourists were asked to follow on by the Guyana Jaguars, and were bowled out for the identical deficit, leaving the Jaguars with just one run for victory.
Saunders had anchored the middle-order, putting on 91 for the fourth wicket with Shane Burton (53) and 76 for the fifth with Jahmar Hamilton (23), but when he was dismissed, the visitors’ effort unraveled and the second collapse of the match continued with increasing speed. From 127-4, the visitors lost 6-141.
Dwayne Bravo says it is unlikely he will play for West Indies again, and sees his future solely in the various short-format leagues around the world.
After tearing his hamstring in Australia's Big Bash League in December 2016, the Trinidadian allrounder endured a lengthy absence from all cricket. Bravo has not played for West Indies since the T20 series against Pakistan in the preceding September, and believes his chances of a recall into the team are slim.
"I am looking at these tournaments as a chance to continue playing cricket," Bravo said. "As long as I can play cricket, I am happy. As far as internationals are concerned, I have been dropped from the West Indies team.
The T&T Red Force bowlers grabbed five wickets for 49 runs to bring their team back into the game but the local batsmen failed to support and at the end of the second day of their 2017 PCL clash against the Barbados Pride at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, struggling on 148/8 in response to 316. T&T skipper Denesh Ramdin once again showed quality in leading a lone fight against the left arm orthodox spinner Jomel Warrican who by the end of the day had snared six scalps. Ramdin was unbeaten on 74 and when play resumes on the third day today, he will come out fighting needing another 19 runs to help his team avoid the ignominy of a follow on.After the openers Jeremy Solozano and Amir Jangoo took the shine off the ball and added a solid 37 runs, spinner Jomel Warrican arrived to grab three wickets in the spare of two runs to wreck the home team. Warrican sent back Jangoo for 14, Isaiah Rajah without scoring, as well as Ewart Nicholson.
Volcanoes vs Scorpions Devon Smith was eyeing another Windies first-class batting record after fast-medium bowlers Shermon Lewis and Kyle Mayers bowled Windward Islands Volcanoes into a superior position against Jamaica Scorpions on the second day of seventh round matches at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.Smith was unbeaten on 75 – eyeing his second hundred of the match, following his undefeated 107 in the first innings. If he completes the feat, he will become the first batsman to achieve the milestone twice in the modern era (1966 onwards) of the Windies first-class championship. Again, Smith remained unflappable throughout his 137-ball innings which included six fours, as the rest of the top-order batting once failed to give stable support. Earlier, Mayers ended with 4-32 from 12 overs and Lewis finished with 4-36 from 12.3 overs, as Scorpions, resuming from 33 without loss, lost wickets steadily throughout the first session of the day. Only two players made more than 20 for the Scorpions – left-handed opener John Campbell and fast bowler Derval Green – before the visitors made a tactical declaration, like their opponents the previous day, to take advantage of the discomfort batsmen typically encounter facing up to a new pink ball under the lights which failed to materialise.
Jaguars vs Hurricanes
THE Guyana Jaguars finished day two of the seventh round Cricket West Indies (CWI) Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-day encounter against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on top, taking nine of the tourists first innings wickets to put them on the back foot. When bails were lifted last evening at 22:30hrs in the Day/Night encounter at the National Stadium, Providence, the Hurricanes were 114-9, still 304 behind the Jaguars first innings total of 417. Jeremiah Louis was on one Mervin Matthew yet to score.The wickets were shared between the Guyanese bowlers. Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, who is playing in his 100th first class game, finished the day with 6-21, Romario Shepherd 2-29 and Keemo Paul 1-35. Earlier, it was another memorable day for the Guyanese wicket-keeper batsman, who eased to an unbeaten 196 to ensure the hosts amass a huge first innings total. Bramble, playing in his 45th first-class matches, batted for 427 minutes, 291 balls, hitting 23 fours and five sixes.
