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Bryan Charles spell thwarts Scorpions plans for fast start

Published:Thursday | February 10, 2022 | 12:09 AMPaul-Andre Walker/Sports Editor

JAMAICA SCORPIONS coach Andre Coley certainly did not get the fast start he was hoping for if the first day of action against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the West Indies Regional 4-Day Championships is anything to go by.

Heading into the second day, the Red Force are at the crease, trailing the Scorpions first-innings score by just 43 runs, with seven wickets in hand. This, after the Scorpions were skittled out for 141, while the Red Force are well poised at 93 for three.

Batting first at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Coley’s bunch got off to the worst possible start, with newcomer Leroy Lugg falling for just one with the score on 10.

Lugg’s fellow opener John Campbell, 25, and Jermaine Blackwood, 44, tried to stabilise the innings, but their contributions were the most significant, with Paul Palmer, 24, and Marquino Mindley, 22, the only other batsmen to get into double figures.

UNDONE

The side was undone by the bowling of Bryan Charles, who ended the innings with 6-48.

In reply, the Red Force did not start well either, losing Keagan Simmons for 11, Imran Khan for 9, and Jason Mohammed for 22. Still, the Trinidad franchise can take heart from the presence of Joshua Dasilva, who is unbeaten on 32, and Yannic Cariah, who has been watchful on 11.

So far there have been two wickets for Nicholson Gordon (2-23), while Mindley (1-33) accounted for the other batsman to fall.

In the other games to get started today, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes declared their innings on 172-9 against defending champions, the Barbados Pride, who are 27 without loss, while the Windward Islands Volcanoes closed play on 278-9 against the Guyana Harpy Eagles.

At the Kensington Oval, the Hurricanes had 58 from veteran batsman, Devon Thomas, and 43 from Kieran Powell against the bowling of Keon Harding, who ended with 4-42, and Jonathan Carter, 2-9. There was also a wicket apiece for Justin Greaves, Ramon Simmonds, and Jomel Warrican.

Over at Queen’s Park Oval, good lower-order batting from Preston McSween, with an unbeaten 46, and Sherman Lewis, 14 not out, helped the Volcanoes avoid being bowled out on the first day.

Earlier, half-centuries from another veteran, Devon Smith (52), and Alick Athanaze (68) helped the Volcanoes to a challenging target against Veerasammy Permaul, 3-75, Keemo Paul, 3-64, and Gudakesh Motie, 3-61.

paul-andre.walker@gleanerjm.com