PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Opener Kyle Hope stroked his second half-century of the game to fire Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to a convincing nine-wicket victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes inside three days, in their opening round of the Regional Four-Day Championship here Sunday night.Set a mere 155 for victory, Red Force sped to their target just after the final drinks break of the night at Queen’s Park Oval, with the right-handed Hope finishing unbeaten on 79 to follow up his first-innings 56.
He dominated a 61-run opening stand with Jeremy Solozano who made 19, and added a further 96 for the second wicket with Yannic Cariah who was unbeaten on 52 at the end.
The victory gave Red Force 18 points while Volcanoes took four from the heavy defeat.
Earlier, the visitors had fallen for 254 in their second innings, after resuming the penultimate day on 135 for four.
Tail-ender Shane Shillingford whacked an attacking top score of 65 off 99 deliveries while Sunil Ambris, unbeaten on 16 overnight, made 43.
Volcanoes’ start was a good one as Ambris and Kavem Hodge (16) extended their fifth-wicket stand to 53 before being separated.
The right-handed Ambris faced 72 balls and struck four fours and a six before he was one of two wickets to fall in the space of three deliveries from leg-spinner Imran Khan.
He went caught at the wicket by Steven Katwaroo and captain Liam Sebastien followed two deliveries later in identical manner, without scoring.
Shillingford, who belted three fours and five sixes, then rallied the innings by adding 21 with Hodge for the seventh wicket and 49 for the eighth with Mervin Matthew (10), before Volcanoes were dismissed in the third over after lunch.
Imran Khan was the best bowler with five for 81.
Barbadian Hope then took centre stage in an innings laced with eight fours and a six, which came from 122 balls in a shade over 2-3/4 hours.
When the left-handed Solozano was lbw to Shillingford, Cariah arrived to further the stand by striking five fours in a 102-ball knock.
Red Force will host long-time rivals Barbados Pride in the second round of the Regional Four-Day Championship starting Friday.

VOLCANOES 1st innings 142
RED FORCE 1st innings 242
VOLCANOES 2nd innings (o/n 135 for four)
D. Smith b Cottrell 19
T. Theophile b Primus 53
J. Robinson lbw b Imran Khan 33
N. Deonarine c Hope b Jagessar 5
S. Ambris c wkp. Katwaroo b Imran Khan 43
K. Hodge lbw b Imran Khan 16
L. Sebastien c wkp. Katwaroo b Imran Khan 0
S. Shillingford b Imran Khan 65
M. Matthew c wkp. Katwaroo b Ottley 10
D. Johnson lbw b Jagessar 2
K. Peters not out 1
Extras: (b-1, lb-6) 7
Total: (all out, 77.2 overs) 254
Fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-78, 3-91, 4-119, 5-172, 6-172, 7-193, 8-242, 9-246.
Bowling: Cottrell 11-2-43-1, Richards 10-2-26-0, Imran Khan 26.2-7-81-5, Jagessar 19-4-58-2, Primus 9-1-38-1, Ottley 2-1-1-1.
RED FORCE 2nd innings (target: 155 runs)
K. Hope not out 79
J. Solozano lbw b Shillingford 19
Y. Cariah not out 52
Extras: (lb-5, nb-2) 7
Total: (1 wkt, 44.1 overs) 157
Fall of wicket: 1-61.
Bowling: Johnson 6-1-36-0, Matthew 7-1-16-0, Peters 8-1-30-0, Sebastien 9-0-32-0, Shillingford 14-3-32-1, Hodge 0.1-0-6-0.
Points: Red Force 18, Volcanoes 4.