West Indies Championship…

(CMC) – An enterprising sixth first-class hundred from Chadwick Walton, and a career-best spell from Ashmead Nedd were the two eye-popping performances in the West Indies Championship on Thursday.

Walton, a former West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman, slammed a boundary-studded 163, and hosts Jamaica Scorpions reached 259 for six, replying to the Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners first innings total of 307 at the close on the second day of the second round of matches.

Nedd, a former West Indies Under-19 left-arm spinner and son of former Guyana off-spinner Gavin Nedd, bagged six for 78 from 36.4 overs for the Cricket West Indies Academy against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in St. Kitts.

Left-hander Jyd Goolie defied him and the rest of the Academy attack with his second first-class hundred of 113 to anchor the Red Force to 329, all out, and a first innings lead of 166.
At the same time, left-arm spinner Daniel Doram, and pacer Jeremiah Louis shared seven wickets, and bowled hosts Leeward Islands Hurricanes to a 141-run, first innings lead against defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles in the other match taking place in St. Kitts.

And, Windward Islands Volcanoes used consistent batting down the order to defy a destructive spell from Test left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican to gain a 111-run, first innings lead against Barbados Pride in the other match taking place in Jamaica between two teams that won their first-round matches.

AT SABINA PARK: Familiarity bred contempt, and Walton belted 16 fours and five sixes from 245 balls against his former team, and shared a century opening stand with Carlos Brown to lead a strong reply for the Scorpions.

The pair shared 169 for the first wicket before teenaged leg-spinner Zishan Motara bowled Brown for 48, and the Scorpions reached 172 for one at tea.

The hosts lost five wickets, including the Test batting trio of Kirk McKenzie, Nkrumah Bonner, and Jermaine Blackwood for nine, six, and eight, respectively, in a dramatic final session to undermine the hard work of the openers.

Motara triggered the slide with the scalps of Bonner and Blackwood before he got Walton off the final delivery for the day, and ended with four for 69 from 22.1 overs.

Earlier, Motara resisted the Scorpions attack to score 28, and share 58 for the eighth wicket with his captain Jonathan Carter, who was undefeated on 135, and helped propel the composite side to 307 in their first innings.

AT THE CONAREE CRICKET CENTRE: Fellow left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop supported Nedd with three for 116 from 40 overs, but they failed to inspire CWI Academy, and the emerging players’ side were wobbling on 84 for three in their second innings at the close, still 82 runs behind.

Off-spinner Bryan Charles grabbed the scalps of former West Indies Under-19 captain Ackeem Auguste for 34, and Barbadian left-handed opener Rashawn Worrell for 12 late in the day to finish with two for seven from six overs, and the Academy were battling to avoid defeat.

Earlier, Goolie led the Red Force batting with a knock that included 10 fours and two sixes from 248 balls, after they continued from their overnight total of 128 for three.

He shared 91 for the fourth wicket with Amir Jangoo, and he had a pair of 41-run stands with Terrance Hinds and Anderson Phillip that beefed up the Red Force total.

Jangoo made 40, Charles was not out on 25, Hinds got 22, and Phillip added 16, and they were among a group of batsmen that got starts and did not carry on.

AT WARNER PARK: Doram ended with four for 40 from 12.3 overs, and Louis finished with three for 42 from 14 overs, and Hurricanes bowled out Harpy Eagles for 188 in their first innings.

All-rounder Ronaldo Alimohamed followed up a career-best spell earlier in the day to lead the way for the visitors with 40, and spin bowling stalwart Veerasammy Permaul made 34.

Louis carved up the Harpy Eagles were struggling top order and had them wobbling on 73 for five before Doram gutted the bottom half of the batting either side of seventh wicket stand of 59 between Alimohamed and Permaul.

Starting the day on 299 for six, Hurricanes were dismissed for 352 in their first innings with their burly captain Rahkeem Cornwall indulging himself with 54 off 64 balls that included nine fours and one six.

Alimohamed, bowling fast-medium, was the pick of the Harpy Eagles bowlers with five for 69 from 19.5 overs playing in only his second first-class match.

AT KENSINGTON PARK: Warrican defied the strong Volcanoes top-order showing and ended with five 59 from 24.1 overs, but he failed to inspire his teammates, and Barbados Pride limped to 72 for four at the close.

All but pacer Ryan John of the five Volcanoes bowlers used have taken a wicket, and Jonathan Drakes made 20 and was the only Pride batsman to score that many.

Earlier, Trinidadian left-hander Jeremy Solozano, discarded West Indies batsman Sunil Ambris, and former West Indies Under-19 captain Kimani Melius hit half-centuries before Volcanoes were bowled out for 325, replying to the Pride first innings total of 214.

Solozano ended with the top score of 86, adding only 23 to his overnight score, Ambris made 72, and Melius finished with 56, adding only four to his overnight score.

Volcanoes also got solid contributions of 32 from Johann Jeremiah, 29 from Barbadian all-rounder Shamar Springer, and 26 from West Indies Test batsman Kavem Hodge.