(CMC) – Opener Shayne Moseley struck his fifth first class hundred and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican snatched two late wickets to trigger a Windward Islands Volcanoes collapse, as Barbados Pride took control of their final round contest in the West Indies Championship.
Resuming yesterday’s second morning at Queen’s Park Oval on 48 without loss in reply to Volcanoes’ first innings of 237 all out, Pride were led by the left-hander Moseley’s 112 as they were eventually dismissed for 227.
Behind by 10 runs, Pride then scythed through the Volcanoes top order before Warrican grabbed two wickets in the third over before the close, the innings ending on 14 for four.
At the Guyana National Stadium, leaders Guyana Harpy Eagles were forced to trail Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 125 runs on first innings after the visitors were dismissed for 247.
In their second turn at the crease, the hosts finished on 48 for one, still behind by 77 runs heading into today’s penultimate day.
At the Brian Lara Stadium also in Trinidad, Jamaica Scorpions were staring at yet another possible defeat after following on by 177 runs and closing on 199 for five – a lead of only 22 runs.
Moseley, however, took centre stage, producing a knock which required 184 balls and just over four hours, and included 17 fours and a six. The 28-year-old, unbeaten on 26 at the start, survived the loss of partner Zachary McCaskie (21) to the third ball of the day from left-arm seamer Preston McSween (2-50) without a run added, to put on a crucial 101 for the second wicket with rookie Rashawn Worrell (35). He added a further 30 for the third wicket with Jonathan Drakes (16) before he was one of the last seven wickets to tumble for just 48 runs, left-arm spinner Larry Edwards accounting for five of those wickets to finish with six for 43.
Moseley eventually perished when he flirted with a wide delivery from pacer Shermon Lewis and edged behind. Volcanoes’ hopes of building on that momentum were quickly dashed as Johann Jeremiah fell without scoring in the second over.
Three wickets then went down with the score on 10 in the space of seven balls – Warrican bowling both Kemani Melius (7) and captain Alick Athanaze (0) in the same over.
In Georgetown, Hurricanes got a top score of 58 from captain Jahmar Hamilton after resuming on 133 for five – a small advantage of 11 runs.
Hamilton, unbeaten overnight on 35, stretched his sixth wicket stand with Kofi James to 81 before becoming the morning’s first casualty, tugging a return catch to off-spinner Kevin Sinclair (2-45).
James, on nine at the start, followed with 10 runs added to leave the innings stuttering on 195 for seven, and it was left to Rahkeem Cornwall (24) and Jeremiah Louis (20) to galvanise the lower order in a 43-run, eighth wicket stand.
Fast bowler Nial Smith finished with four for 33 while veteran left-arm spinner Veersammy Permaul ended with three for 51.
In reply, Harpy Eagles lost Matthew Nandu with three with only six runs on the board but Test left-hander Tagenarine Chanderpaul (20 not out) patched up the innings in a 38-run, unbroken second wicket stand with Kevlon Anderson (19 not out). Scorpions, meanwhile, extended their poor run in the tournament after resuming the morning on five for one, dismissed for 125 in their first innings with medium pacer Tion Webster snatching five for 36. The innings was reeling at 50 for seven before Derval Green (39) and Jeavor Royal (27) combined in an eighth wicket partnership of 62 to help the total past the 100-run mark.
Trailing by 177 runs, Scorpions were in early trouble at eight for one in the second over of their second innings before Test vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood (68) and Leroy Lugg (66) belted half-centuries to bail their side out of trouble.
Blackwood punched nine fours off 137 balls in just under three hours while Lugg blasted nine fours and three sixes in an entertaining 57-ball cameo, the pair posting 112 for the second wicket.
When Lugg edged a booming drive at Phillip and was taken behind, Blackwood put on a further 50 for the third wicket with Carlos Brown (16) before Scorpions collapsed, losing three wickets for 29 runs.
