KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) – Another destructive spell from Nikita Miller was topped by crucial strikes from fellow left-arm bowlers Khary Pierre and Daniel St. Clair in the final hour to leave Trinidad & Tobago Red Force within sight of their first victory of the season in the West Indies Championship against Jamaica Scorpions on Saturday here.

Left-arm spinner Pierre claimed two for 16 from nine overs to follow up a tidy 46 with the bat and left-arm medium-fast bowler St. Clair grabbed two for 12 from six overs, as the Scorpions, chasing 325 for victory, slumped to 108 for five in their second innings at the close on the third day of their fourth-round match at Sabina Park.

This followed left-arm spinner Miller taking seven for 87 from 32.4 overs to be the Scorpions most successful bowler, but Pierre hit the top score for Red Force and several batsmen got starts without carrying on, as the visitors were bowled out for 233 in their second innings, leaving the hosts with a difficult chase.

Scorpions were blessed with a sound start, as Oraine Williams dominated an opening stand of 89 with Chadwick Walton before he was caught behind off Pierre for 56 that included nine fours and two sices from 67 balls in 79 minutes of batting.

Three balls later, Pierre had Walton stumped for 26 before leg-spinner Imran Khan removed Andre McCarthy for one to leave Scorpions 90 for three.
The Scorpions were set back further, when St. Clair trapped the home team’s captain Paul Palmer lbw for eight in his fourth over and bowled Barbadian all-rounder Kenroy Williams for a four-ball duck in his next over inside the final 45 minutes, leaving Assad Fudadin, not out on six, and Rovman Powell, not out on two, to usher the hosts to the close.

Earlier, Pierre shared three small, but frustrating stands with the international trio of Darren Bravo, Jason Mohammed and Denesh Ramdin to limp Red Force to a respectable total and a challenging target.

Red Force, starting the day on 62 for two, saw Bravo make 38, Ramdin and Odean Smith 25, and Imran Khan 23 to extend their innings past lunch, as Miller weave his web around their batting.

RED FORCE 1st Innings 203
Scorpions 1st Innings 112
Red Force 2nd Innings
(overnight 62 for two)
K Hope c Thomas b Miller 20
J Solozano b Miller 13
D Bravo c Palmer b O Thomas 38
K Pierre c wkpr A Thomas b Leveridge 46
J Mohammed b Miller 14
D Ramdin c (sub) Levy b Miller 25
Y Cariah c wkpr A Thomas b Leveridge 10
I Khan c Palmer b Miller 23
O Smith b Miller 25
D St Clair c K Williams b Miller 0
A Phillip not out 6
Extras (b1,lb11, nb1) 13
TOTAL (all out, 92.4 overs) 233
Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-59, 3-92, 4-114, 5-162, 6-176, 7-179, 8-224, 9-224
Bowling: Thomas 15-4-33-1 (nb1); Leveridge 19-9-27-2; Miller 32.4-6-87-7;K Williams 21-5-59-0; McCarthy 5-1-15-0

SCORPIONS 2nd Innings (target: 325)
C Walton st Ramdin b Pierre 26
O Williams c wkpr Ramdin b Pierre 56
A McCarthy c Mohammed b Khan 1
A Fudadin not out 6
*P Palmer lbw b St Clair 8
K Williams b St Clair 0
R Powell not out 2
Extras (b1, lb5, nb3) 9
TOTAL (5 wkts, 37 overs) 108
Fall of wickets: 1-89, 2-90, 3-90, 4-104, 5-104
Bowling: Phillip 3-1-18-0; St Clair 6-1-12-2 (nb2); Smith 3-0-28-0 (nb1); Pierre 9-4-16-2; Khan 13-5-26-1; Mohammed 3-1-2-0
Position: Scorpions need 21