Red Force in sight of victory
A maiden hundred from rookie tail-ender Terrance Hinds combined with a destructive spell from left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein put hosts Trinidad & Tobago on the brink of victory over Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the West Indies Championship on Saturday.
Hinds, playing in only his second match for Red Force, cracked an undefeated 102, batting at nine, to help the home team pile up a 366-run, first innings lead over Hurricanes, whose second innings batting was undermined by a destructive spell from Hosein on the third day of second round matches in the Championship.
At the same time, West Indies opener John Campbell showed signs of form with his fourth first-class hundred of 101 to lead a fight-back for hosts Jamaica Scorpions, after they were forced to follow on against Windward Islands Volcanoes, 167 behind on first innings.
And in the headline match of the round, left-hander Vishaul Singh kept five-time defending champions and current leaders Guyana Jaguars afloat with a purposeful, unbeaten half-century against hosts and long-standing rivals Barbados Pride, after the visitors were led by 180 on first innings.
Volcanoes (387) vs Scorpions (220) & 291-3 at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica
Campbell and Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood shared 155 for the second wicket to bring Scorpions back into the match in their second innings.
Blackwood made 76, but he was caught behind off pacer Josh Thomas, who had earlier bowled Campbell to end the day with 2-37 from 17 overs.
Nkrumah Bonner, not out on 40, and Paul Palmer Jr, not out on 36, batted through almost 1-1/2 hours before the close to put the Scorpions 123 in the black and set up an intriguing final day on Sunday.
Resuming from their bedtime total of 203 for seven in their first innings, Scorpions were bowled out inside the first hour with left-arm pacer Preston McSween taking two of the last three scalps to end with 3-41 from 15.2 overs.
Derval Green added 12 to his overnight score for the Scorpions top score of 62 before McSween dismissed him to bring the innings to a close.
Jaguars (209) & 141-3 vs Pride (389) at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados
Left-hander Singh was not out on 56 and leading the Jaguars fight for survival, after trailing by 180 on first innings.
Jaguars suffered an early setback, when West Indies pacer Kemar Roach trapped Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of former West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, lbw for six in the fifth over.
Two overs later, the Jags suffered another setback, when Roach struck opener Chandrapaul Hemraj with a sharply rising delivery, forcing him to retire on eight with the total on 15 for one.
Singh came to the crease and started a counter-attack with his captain Leon Johnson in between both being struck on the helmet by fast bowler Chemar Holder.
They put on 53 for the second wicket before Johnson was bowled for 17, playing on a delivery from Kevin Stoute, and following a 45-minute period of resistance, Christopher Barnwell was caught at long-on from a lofted off left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican.
Barbados-born left-handed all-rounder Raymon Reifer, not out on 17, came to the crease and spent another 45 minutes of resistance before the close with Singh.
Pride were earlier bowled out about an hour and five minutes after lunch, having resumed from their overnight total of 239 for three.
Kyle Mayers finished with the top score of 75, fellow left-hander Jonathan Carter supported with 73, Roach made 35, Warrican got 24 and Keon Harding added 21.
Mayers and Carter put on 111 for the fourth wicket, but they were two of the four wickets Pride lost for 16 in the space of 22 balls before Roach anchored stands of 37 and 46 with Warrican and Harding respectively, that extended the innings past lunch.
Keon Joseph was the most successful Jaguars bowler with 4-75 from 22.2 overs and rookie, fellow pacer Nial Smith captured 2-84 from 25 overs.
Hurricanes (186) & 162-7 vs Red Force (552-9 dec) at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein grabbed 4-56 from 19 overs to trigger a Hurricanes second innings batting collapse.
Openers Montcin Hodge and Kieran Powell gave Hurricanes a strong start, sharing 84 for the first wicket, but they lost seven wickets for 68 either side of tea to put Red Force within reach of victory.
Earlier, Hinds became the second century-maker in the Red Force first innings to pile the pressure on the Hurricanes before they declared in the final hour before tea.
Resuming from their overnight total of 337 for four, Red Force were 383 for five when spinner Jacques Taylor removed Joshua da Silva for 80.
This a period of instability in the Red Force batting and they collapsed losing four wickets for 26 in the space of 64 balls, including left-hander Yannic Cariah for 46.
But Hinds dominated a ninth-wicket stand of 122 with Bryan Charles that stopped the Hurricanes advance and gave Red Force complete command.
Leg-spinner Damion Jacobs bowled Charles for 43, but Red Force extended the innings long enough for Hinds to reach his landmark before declaring.