ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Devon Smith cracked his 30th first-class career hundred, but the Windward Islands Volcanoes’ bid for an unexpected victory over Leeward Islands Hurricanes failed and they had to settle for a draw in the Regional 4-Day Championship yesterday.
The 36-year-old Smith, the most prolific batsman in the history of the regional competition, was undefeated on a masterful 185 that helped him to earn the Player-of-the-Match award and carry the Volcanoes to 331 for three declared in their second innings – for a lead of 221 – on the final day of their first-round match at the National Cricket Stadium.
Chasing 222 for victory, the Hurricanes stumbled against the spin bowling triumvirate of Shane Shillingford, Liam Sebastien and Audy Alexander and were fortunate to escape with the result, finishing on 112 for six.
Left-handed opener Smith collected 14 fours and three sixes from 235 balls in close to six hours to post his 24th regional first-class hundred.
He shared century stands with Kirk Edwards for the second wicket and Kavem Hodge for the fourth wicket before the declaration came.
Edwards, the Barbados-born, discarded West Indies batsman, made 64 that included five fours from 143 balls in 3 ½ hours of batting and Hodge, a former West Indies Under-19 batsman, was unbeaten on a run-a-ball 56 in close to 1 ½ hours of occupation to hasten the declaration.
The three Volcanoes spinners then collected two wickets apiece, but the Hurricanes on the back of Keacy Carty, their youngest batsman, with the top score of 48, managed to defy them long enough to come away with the majority of the points.
