Guyana Harpy Eagles captain Leon Johnson led his team’s fightback with a lionhearted innings, to end Day 1 of Round 4 of the West Indies Championship against the Jamaica Scorpions on 268-9, with Johnson unbeaten on 142. The experienced left-hander was supported in the middle wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach 46 (105) and Kevlon Anderson 36 (65)Fast bowlers Marquino Mindley, Ojay Shields and Derval Green finished the day with two wickets each, but day belonged to Johnson.
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Johnson faced 248 deliveries for his seventh first-class century, which included 16 fours, in front of his home crowd at the Guyana National Stadium, in what he announced was his last season of First Class cricket. Not out with Johnson at the close of play was Nial Smith, who is yet to face a ball.
Off-spinner Holder takes first fifer as Barbados bowl out T&T
Off-spinner Chaim Holder continued his impressive showing this season as he took career-best figures to help Barbados Pride bowl out Trinidad & Tobago red Force for 203 after tea at the historic Queen’s Park Oval. Holder bagged 5-71 off 18.3 overs while pacer Jair McAllister supported with 3-31 for 31 from 15 overs before Pride replied with 40 without loss at the close with Zachary McCaskie not out on 21 and left-hander Shayne Moseley not out on 19.
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Jason Mohammed led the Red Force batting with 55 and anchored two stands with Tion Webster and West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva to prop up the Red Force after they won the toss and decided to bat. Da Silva made 32 and dominated a fourth-wicket stand of 48 with Mohammed before he was lbw to McAllister, and Webster made 46 and led the way in a fifth-wicket stand of 39 before Mohammed was the first of six wickets that fell for 40 in the span of 18 overs after tea.
Debutant Gore and James to the rescue for Leewards
Karima Gore and Kofi James ended the opening with an unbroken 150-run partnership for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes as they closed on 271-6 against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
Electing to bat first, the Hurricanes innings was shaky at the start. However opener Kieran Powell anchored the innings with a vital 75 off 105 balls which included 12 boundaries and a six.. He shared a 42-run partnership with skipper Jahmar Hamilton before Hamilton was dismissed for 12.
Scorecard here
With Leewards struggling on six wickets down after lunch, Gore joined James to rescue the inning. Gore will resume the second day on 87. He has so far struck 12 fours and one six from 177 balls in close to four hours at the crease. James is not out on 61 with three fours and one six from 153 balls in three hours of batting.For the Windwards, off-spinner Dember and left-arm pacer Preston McSween have taken two wickets each for the Volcanoes.
Speaking at the close of play, Gore said:
“Kofi and I play for the same club in Antigua so it’s a bond we have playing together that helped us score out there today. I was looking forward to it (scoring half-century), very excited. Words can’t really explain it, the nerves were there. When I was young, I always said I wanted to score a century on debut, not fully there as yet but looking forward to it.”
Play continues in all three matches from 10am (9am Jamaica time) on Thursday.
Fans can stream all West Indies Championship matches live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel and access live ball-by-ball scoring at http://windiescricket.com/ match center. Following the Championship, the new Headley Weekes Series will feature three teams and matches, drawing from top performers in the 2023 West Indies Championship and players outside the starting West Indies Test XI. The Series will run from April 18 to May 6 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.(CWI)
