BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Opener Shayne Moseley struck his fifth first class hundred and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican snatched two late wickets to trigger a Windward Islands Volcanoes collapse, as Barbados Pride took control of their final round contest in the West Indies Championship.
Resuming Thursday’s second morning at Queen’s Park Oval on 48 without loss in reply to Volcanoes’ first innings of 237 all out, Pride were led by the left-hander Moseley’s 112 as they were eventually dismissed for 227.
Behind by 10 runs, Pride then scythed through the Volcanoes top order before Warrican grabbed two wickets in the third over before the close, the innings ending on 14 for four.
At the Guyana National Stadium, leaders Guyana Harpy Eagles were forced to trail Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 125 runs on first innings after the visitors were dismissed for 247.
In their second turn at the crease, the hosts finished on 48 for one, still behind by 77 runs heading into Friday’s penultimate day.
At the Brian Lara Academy in San Fernando, the Jamaica Scorpions were staring at yet another possible defeat after following on by 177 runs and closing on 199 for five – a lead of only 22 runs.
Moseley, however, took centre stage, producing a knock which required 184 balls and just over four hours, and included 17 fours and a six.
The 28-year-old, unbeaten on 26 at the start, survived the loss of of partner Zachary McCaskie (21) to the third ball of the day from left-arm seamer Preston McSween (2-50) without a run added, to put on a crucial 101 for the second wicket with rookie Rashawn Worrell (35).
He added a further 30 for the third wicket with Jonathan Drakes (16) before he was one of the last seven wickets to tumble for just 48 runs, left-arm spinner Larry Edwards accounting for five of those wickets to finish with six for 43.
Moseley eventually perished when he flirted with a wide delivery from pacer Shermon Lewis and edged behind.
Volcanoes’ hopes of building on that momentum were quickly dashed as Johann Jeremiah fell without scoring in the second over.
Three wickets then went down with the score on 10 in the space of seven balls – Warrican bowling both Kemani Melius (7) and captain Alick Athanaze (0) in the same over.
In Georgetown, Hurricanes got a top score of 58 from captain Jahmar Hamilton after resuming on 133 for five – a small advantage of 11 runs.
Hamilton, unbeaten overnight on 35, stretched his sixth wicket stand with Kofi James to 81 before becoming the morning’s first casualty, tugging a return catch to off-spinner Kevin Sinclair (2-45).
James, on nine at the start, followed with 10 runs added to leave the innings stuttering on 195 for seven, and it was left to Rahkeem Cornwall (24) and Jeremiah Louis (20) to galvanise the lower order in a 43-run, eighth wicket stand.
Fast bowler Nial Smith finished with four for 33 while veteran left-arm spinner Veersammy Permaul ended with three for 51.
In reply, Harpy Eagles lost Matthew Nandu with three with only six runs on the board but Test left-hander Tagenarine Chanderpaul (20 not out) patched up the innings in a 38-run, unbroken second wicket stand with Kevlon Anderson (19 not out).
Scorpions, meanwhile, extended their poor run in the tournament after resuming the morning on five for one, dismissed for 125 in their first innings with medium pacer Tion Webster snatching five for 36.
The innings was reeling at 50 for seven before Derval Green (39) and Jeavor Royal (27) combined in an eighth wicket partnership of 62 to help the total past the 100-run mark.
Trailing by 177 runs, Scorpions were in early trouble at eight for one in the second over of their second innings before Test vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood (68) and Leroy Lugg (66) belted half-centuries to bail their side out of trouble.
Blackwood punched nine fours off 137 balls in just under three hours while Lugg blasted nine fours and three sixes in an entertaining 57-ball cameo, the pair posting 112 for the second wicket.
When Lugg edged a booming drive at Phillip and was taken behind, Blackwood put on a further 50 for the third wicket with Carlos Brown (16) before Scorpions collapsed, losing three wickets for 29 runs.
SCORES
At Queen’s Park Oval, T&T
Volcanoes lead by 24 runs with six second innings intact.
WINDWARD ISLANDS VOLCANOES 237 (Alick Athanaze 59, Tevyn Walcott 55, Ryan John 41, Sunil Ambris 28; Akeem Jordan 5-44, Roshon Primus 2-44, Jomel Warrican 2-57) and 14 for four (Jomel Warrican 2-0) vs BARBADOS PRIDE 227 (Shayne Moseley 112, Rashawn Worrell 35; Larry Edward 6-45).
At the Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
Harpy Eagles trail by 77 runs with nine second innings wickets intact.
GUYANA HARPY EAGLES 122 (Matthew Nandu 22; Rahkeem Cornwall 4-27, Colin Archibald 2-27, Javier Spencer 2-35) and 48 for one (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 20 not out) vs LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES 247 (Jahmar Hamilton 58, Kofi James 42, Kieran Powell 39, Keacy Carty 23; Nial Smith 4-33, Veerasammy Permaul 3-51).
At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, T&T
Scorpions, following on, lead by 22 runs with five second innings wickets intact.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RED FORCE 302 (Terrance Hinds 94, Anderson Phillip 63, Joshua Da Silva 39, Tion Webster 30; Derval Green 3-56, Marquino Mindley 2-56, Jeavor Royal 2-60, Ojay Shields 2-72) vs JAMAICA SCORPIONS 125 (Derval Green 39, Jeavor Royal 27; Tion Webster 5-36, Terrance Hinds 3-40) and 199 for five (Jermaine Blackwood 68, Leroy Lugg 66; Anderson Phillip 2-21, Bryan Charles 2-68).
(CMC)