Joseph, Bonner fail to stop Volcanoes romp to victory

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Teenaged fast bowler Alzarri Joseph snatched career-best figures and Nkrumah Bonner stroked his third half-century in six innings, but neither effort could prevent Leeward Islands Hurri-canes from plummeting to an eight-wicket defeat to Windward Islands Vol-canoes inside two days here Saturday.

Jamaican Nkrumah Bonner … stroked a defiant 64 for Hurricanes. (file photo)
Jamaican Nkrumah Bonner … stroked a defiant 64 for Hurricanes. (file photo)

Right-armer Joseph, 19, picked up seven for 48 as Volcanoes, resuming the first innings on 104 for five, were dismissed for 140 in the low-scoring Regional First Class Championship contest at Windsor Park.

Tyrone Theophile, unbeaten on 54 overnight, scored 62.

Behind by 116 runs on first innings, Hurricanes mustered only 170 in their second innings with Bonner top-scoring with 64, Shane Jeffers getting 30 and Daron Cruickshank, 22.

Captain and off-spinner Liam Sebastien finished with five for 75 while left-arm spinner Alston Bobb claimed four for 48.

Set a mere 55 for victory, Volcanoes reached their target with little difficulty late in the evening with West Indies limited overs opener Johnson Charles finishing on 21 not out.

Joseph, in his fourth first class game, picked up one of the two wickets to fall to finish with a eight-wicket match haul.

The defeat was the third straight heavy defeat for the luckless Hurricanes, and it ensured their remained bottom of the standings.

Thanks to Joseph, they did well to restrict Volcanoes, claiming the last five wickets for 36 runs with the lively fast bowler taking four of the wickets to tumble.

But they were once again let down by their batting as opener Sherwin Peters fell cheaply for two with the score on 11 in the fifth over of the innings.

Bonner and Trinidadian Cruickshank put on 39 to guide Hurricanes up to 50 for one, a position that represented a decent recovery.

After batting an hour and striking two fours and a six, Cruickshank perished just before lunch when he was lbw to Bobb, leaving the hosts on 54 for two at the break.

Wickets then fell steadily on resumption as the Hurricanes slumped to 94 for five, with Sebastien scything through the middle order.

Jamaican Bonner resisted stoutly, hitting five fours in an innings that spanned 125 balls and a shade over 2-1/4 hours.

He added 39 for the sixth wicket with Rahkeen Cornwall but once the burly right-hander was dismissed for 16 after an hour at the crease, the last five wickets crumbled for 37 runs.