Sinclair 50 frustrates leaders; Red Force hit back against Pride

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC )– Test rookie Kevin Sinclair struck his second half-century of the West Indies Championship to push his tally past 400 runs for the campaign, as Guyana Harpy Eagles produced a gutsy fightback against leaders Windward Islands Volcanoes.
With his side languishing at 142 for five on day one of their fifth-round contest here Wednesday, the 24-year-old top-scored with 74 to lead the Harpy Eagles recovery and carry them to 308 all out in their first innings.

Sinclair got support from Kevlon Anderson who made 48 and tailenders Gudakesh Motie (46) and Veerasammy Permaul (30), both of whom chipped in with valuable knocks to help counter leg-spinner Darel Cyrus’s (5-67) second five-wicket haul of the season.
In the four overs available before the close, Volcanoes reached 12 without loss, to trail by 296 runs heading into Thursday’s day two at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Choosing to bat first, Harpy Eagles got a solid, if not spectacular start, when left-handers Matthew Nandu (25) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (13) put on 40 for the first wicket.
When the innings declined to 77 for three, Sinclair anchored two key stands to get his side out of trouble. First, he posted 53 for the fourth with Anderson who struck half-dozen fours and a six in an 83-ball knock, before adding a further 63 for the sixth wicket with Permaul who faced 29 balls and belted a four and a couple of sixes.

Sinclair, better known for his off-spin, faced 102 deliveries and struck 10 fours and a six before he was seventh out, bowled by pacer Shamar Springer (2-75) playing down the wrong line.
The right-hander, who hit a 50 in the last round and an unbeaten 100 in the third round, now has 412 runs for the season.

Motie then played with abandon, smashing three fours and three sixes in a 43-ball cameo to engineer a 51-run, eighth-wicket stand with Nial Smith (20 not out), to further frustrate Volcanoes.
At Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, hosts Trinidad and Tobago Red Force rebounded after being bundled out for 172, to reduce Barbados Pride to 99 for four at the close.

Opting to bat first, Red Force were held together by a defiant unbeaten 93 from Amir Jangoo, the 26-year-old left-hander left stranded just short of a maiden first-class 100.
He faced 159 deliveries and struck 14 fours, and pulled the Red Force innings around after it had crashed to 27 for four and then 83 for seven, putting on 29 for the eighth wicket with Bryan Charles (12) and 38 for the ninth with Anderson Phillip (15).

In reply, Pride were flourishing at 84 for one before left-arm spinner Khary Pierre (2-18) triggered a slide that saw three wickets tumble for just 15 runs.
Zachary McCaskie struck 46 off 93 balls with five fours, inspiring a 55-run first wicket stand with captain Kraigg Brathwaite (30) and a further 29 for the second wicket with Raymon Reifer (12).
But Reifer played back and was adjudged lbw to Pierre, McCaskie edged low to first slip off the same bowler and nightwatchman Jomel Warrican (6) feathered a catch behind off pacer Anderson Phillip.

Pride trail by 73 runs.
At the Frank Worrell Memorial Ground at UWI St Augustine also in Trinidad, 20-year-old Carlon Bowen-Tuckett struck his second 50 in as many rounds as CWI Academy piled up 300 all out after being sent in by Combined Campuses Colleges Marooners.

Bowen-Tuckett top-scored with an unbeaten 76 off 120 balls with 10 fours, and was joined by last-man Johann Layne who made a scintillating 63 off only 43 balls, with five fours and five sixes.
Joshua Dorne had earlier made 36 and opener Rashawn Worrell, 27, but the Academy were still slumping at 129 for seven until number six Bowen-Tuckett added 56 for the eighth with Joshua Bishop (32) and a brilliant 96 for the last wicket with Layne.

Marooners ended the day on 11 for one after fast bowler Layne trapped Kamil Pooran lbw first a first-ball ‘duck’ with the second ball of the reply.
At Sabina Park in Kingston, hosts Jamaica Scorpions laboured to 173 for six after being sent in by Leeward Islands Hurricanes, as rain allowed only 51.4 overs.

With the innings reeling at 59 for five after seamer Jeremiah Louis tore through the top order with a spell of three for 34, opener Carlos Brown held things together with an unbeaten 68 off 137 deliveries with 10 fours.
Crucially, he added 66 for the sixth wicket with Romaine Morris who lashed a swift 42 off 56 balls with five fours and two sixes, before putting on a further 48 in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership with Abhijai Mansingh (15 not out).