ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – A 12th first-class career hundred for Trinidad & Tobago Red Force from long-standing batsman Jason Mohammed and a destructive spell from the Windward Islands Volcanoes pacer Ryan John marked the start of the West Indies Championship on Wednesday.
Mohammed was undefeated on exactly 100, and Tion Webster supported with an even 50. Red Force reached 215 for four in their first innings against defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles when bad light stopped play early on the first day of their first-round match in St Kitts.
John snared five for 43 from 13 overs, and fellow former West Indies Under-19 World Cup-winning all-rounder Shamar Springer grabbed three for 53 from 10 overs, and Volcanoes dismissed hosts Jamaica Scorpions for 159 in their first innings before they reached 157 for two in reply when stumps were drawn.
Former West Indies Under-19 pacer Joshua James helped Cricket West Indies Academy make a strong entry into the tournament when they bowled out hosts Leeward Islands Hurricanes for 137 in their first innings before replying with 60 for two before bad light stopped play in their contest in St Kitts.
And, there was no play between Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners and Barbados Pride in Jamaica because of a wet outfield.
AT CONAREE CRICKET CENTRE: Mohammed struck ten fours from 224 balls and shared 115 for the fourth wicket with Webster to stabilize Red Force after they stumbled to 88 for three inside the first hour after lunch.
Webster cracked four fours and one six from 95 balls before he was caught at short mid-wicket off left-arm spin bowling stalwart Veerasammy Permaul about half-hour before the umpires offered the batters light with the Harpy Eagles only getting two deliveries with the second new ball.
Red Force was set back early after they chose to bat when pacer Ronsford Beaton got opener Cephas Cooper caught behind for eight in the eighth over. Opener Vikash Mohan was forced to retire hurt on 14 in the next over when a delivery from pacer Ronaldo Alimohamed bounced awkwardly and struck him on the forearm.
Red Force were 24 for one and 32 for two when Jyd Goolie was lbw for three playing across a full-length delivery from Beaton, who ended the day with two for 39 from 12 overs.
Amir Jangoo, a former Hurricanes wicketkeeper-batsman, came to the wicket with Mohammed carrying Red Force to 58 for two at lunch.
After the interval, the pair carried on smartly and completed a 56-run third wicket stand before Jangoo turned a delivery from Permaul straight to forward short leg and was caught for 27.
Webster joined Mohammed, taking the sting out of the Harpy Eagles’ attack on either side of carrying Red Force to tea on 170 for three.
After the break, they guided Red Force past 200 before Permaul, the most successful bowler in the history of the Championship, removed Webster to end the day with a miserly two for 40 from 25 overs.
AT SABINA PARK: Discarded West Indies pacer Shermon Lewis gave Volcanoes early success when he spectacularly bowled Chadwick Walton for four in the fourth over of the day, and John followed up with the scalp of West Indies Test batsman Kirk McKenzie also bowled for 10. He was offering no stroke.
Scorpions were 26 for two, and Springer struck with his first delivery when he got discarded West Indies batsman Nkrumah Bonner caught behind down the leg-side for one.
John tightened the Volcanoes’ grip when he bowled discarded West Indies batting stalwart Jermaine Blackwood for 14, and Scorpions were reeling on 45 for five inside the first hour when Springer got opener Carlos Brown caught behind for eight.
Romaine Morris, whose 35 was the top score, came to the crease and, with Abijhai Mansingh, carried Scorpions to 74 for five at lunch, and the pair completed a 53-run, sixth-wicket stand after the interval.
The stand was broken when Morris was run out in a mix-up with Mansingh before John returned to send the innings into terminal decline, taking three of the last four Scorpions wickets that fell for 61 in the span of 67 balls.
Volcanoes captain Kimani Melius, a former West Indies Under-19 captain, hit 31 and got Volcanoes off to a confident start before he was caught at mid-on off Mansingh’s leg-spin playing an ugly cross-batted shot.
Trinidadian fellow opener Jeremy Solozano made 26 and carried Volcanoes past 100 in a second wicket stand of 56 with fellow left-hander Johann Jeremiah before off-spinner Peat Salmon bowled him when he charged down the pitch, missed an on-drive, and the ball ricocheted off his pads onto the stumps.
Jeremiah, not out on 66, and the evergreen Sunil Ambris, not out on 30, batted through the remaining hour-and-a-quarter to take Volcanoes within reach of a first-innings lead.
AT WARNER PARK: James ended with three for 11 from seven overs to lead the Academy demolition of the Hurricane’s batting after the hosts were put into bat.
Off-spinner Ashmead Nedd, pacer Johann Layne, and pace-bowling captain Nyeem Young finished with two wickets to complete the demolition job.
All-rounder Jeremiah Louis, batting at eight, propped up the Hurricanes with a top score of 45, Terence Warde made 28, and Jahmar Hamilton added 22.
Mbeki Joseph, not out on 30, and former West Indies Under-19 captain Ackeem Auguste, not out on 15, were pulling the Academy out of an early hole when bad light stopped play after they lost the Barbadian opening pair of left-hander Rashawn Worrell and Kadeem Alleyne cheaply.
AT CHEDWIN PARK: A ruptured water main soaked the outfield and meant the Marooners and Pride lost an entire day.
It is the first time in 13 years that the venue is staging a first-class match, and it was not an inauspicious way to herald its re-entry.
The two teams hung around until about 2 p.m. before leaving, and they were reassured that the issue had been fixed and play would start promptly on the scheduled second day, barring a severe weather interruption or another force majeure.
and then 