BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Kavesh Kantasingh wrecked the Windward Islands batting yesterday to propel Combined Campuses and Colleges one step closer to the final of the Regional First Class Championship.
The left-arm spinner snatched five for 38 as the Windwards, chasing CCC’s 256, were shot out for a paltry 173, handing the hosts a lead of 83.
At the close of the second day of the semi-final clash at 3Ws Oval, CCC had moved to 85 for three, an overall lead of 168 runs with seven wickets intact.
After CCC added just three to their overnight 253 for nine, Kantasingh went about causing mayhem in the Windwards innings, going past 100 wickets in the process.
The 24-year-old, who bowled the first over of the innings, prised out West Indies opener Devon Smith for six with the score on eight, lbw offering no stroke.
In tandem with off-spinner Ryan Austin (2-53), Kantasingh then sent the Windwards crashing to 54 for five and in danger of being bowled out for less then a hundred.
However, a sixth-wicket partnership of 68 between Lyndon James (48) and Kevin James (31) revived the innings.
Lyndon James hit five fours and faced 89 balls in 108 minutes for his top score but lost his namesake when he was bowled by seamer Carlos Brathwaite (3-24), triggering another collapse.
Captain and opener Omar Phillips (14) and Shacoya Thomas (5) then both fell cheaply as CCC were reduced to 34 for two in their second innings.
Romel Currency, unbeaten on 32 at the close, and Kyle Corbin, who stroked 31, then lifted their side with a 47-run stand before Corbin was lbw late in the day to off-spinner Dalton Polius.