CMC – BARBADOS Pride and the Windward Islands Volcanoes are locked in an intriguing contest, while the Guyana Harpy Eagles have batted themselves in a strong position against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes heading into Saturday’s fourth and final day of the sixth round of matches in the West Indies Championship.

Chasing a challenging total of 305 runs for victory, the Pride ended the day on 144 for three and will fancy their chances of completing the chase.

The Harpy Eagles have completely erased the Hurricanes’ 142-run first innings lead and are comfortably placed on 381 for four thanks to centuries by captain Tevin Imlach and Kevlon Anderson.

Meanwhile, the Combined Campuses and Colleges and West Indies Academy remain locked in battle, with both teams in position to push for victory.

At the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium: Penetrative bowling from Barbados Pride pacers Ramon Simmonds and Jair McAllister wrestled control away from the Windward Islands Volcanoes and gave their team a good chance of victory at the end of the third day’s play.

Kavem Hodge and Shadrack Descarte looked to have put the game beyond the visitors’ grasp during a 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Resuming the day on 203 for four, an overall lead of 191, Hodge and Descarte carried the score to 252 without further loss and a formidable total loomed, until Simmonds and McAllister orchestrated a middle order collapse that saw the Scorpions lose their last six wickets for 64 runs.

Simmonds struck first by dismissing Descarte for an even 50 from 87 balls, before disaster struck for the home side when Hodge was needlessly run out by Matthew Forde for 99 to leave them 262 for six.

His knock lasted 212 balls and he hit nine fours.

Simmonds then had Noelle Leo caught behind for 20 and also accounted for the wicket of Ryan John, before McAllister wrapped up the tail by dismissing Keon Gaston and Kenneth Dember cheaply.

Simmonds finished with 4-47, while McAllister took 2-25.

Set 305 to win, Pride captain Kraigg Brathwaite failed for the second time in the match when he was trapped lbw by John for just two.

Moseley and Jonathan Drakes then added 84 runs for the second wicket, before the Volcanoes snared two quick wickets to seize the advantage.

First, Drakes was dismissed by Gaston for 35 and then Kevin Wickham fell to Dember for four to see the Pride slip to 93 for three.

But Moseley and Kyle Mayers came to their side’s rescue in an unbroken 51-run stand for the fourth wicket and the Pride ended the day on 144 for three, needing another 161 runs to complete a memorable run chase.

At Warner Park: Guyana Harpy Eagles captain Tevin Imlach along with Kevlon Anderson both cracked responsible centuries to pull their side out of deep trouble against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

Imlach scored an unbeaten 103, while Anderson hit 101 in their impressive second innings total of 381 for four.

A mammoth effort was required by the Harpy Eagles after conceding a 142-run first innings’ lead, and their batters showed up to the party.

Resuming on 137 for one, still in arrears, the Hurricanes got an early breakthrough when Matthew Nandu was run out for 66 to leave the score 169 for two.

However, the Hurricanes would reap no further success for the remaining morning session, as Anderson and Imlach joined forces at the crease in a crucial 114-run partnership.

The two carried the score to 283, but immediately upon passing his fifth first class century, Anderson lost his wicket to leg spinner Hayden Walsh Jr.

He faced 246 balls and hit 10 fours during his innings.

Imlach then added 46 runs with Kemol Savory before the latter was bowled by pacer Javier Spencer for 22, to make the score 329 for four.

They were no other breakthroughs for the Hurricanes, with Kevin Sinclair joining Imlach at the crease and the two sharing an unbroken 52-run partnership to further extend their lead, with Sinclair ending the day on 31 not out.

At the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground: The contest between Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) and the West Indies Academy remains evenly poised heading into Saturday’s final day.

After surrendering a first innings’ lead of 78, CCC, led by opener Johann Jeremiah’s century, fought back to end the day on 279 for four, an overall lead of 201.

Jeremiah also got good support from Shaqkere Parris, who scored 56, his second half century of the match, along with Damel Evelyn who made 47 and Kieran Powell, who scored 35.

In fact, they were superbly placed at 267 for two, until the WI Academy grabbed two late wickets to even the contest.

Jeremiah and Evelyn added 161 runs for the first wicket before Jeremian was dismissed by pacer Kelvin Pitman for 107 from 131 balls, inclusive of 11 fours and three sixes.

Seven runs later Pitman struck again, this time bowling Evelyn.

However, Powell and Parris carried their team out of trouble in a 99-run partnership for the third wicket to take then to 267 for two.

But left-arm pacer Jediah Blades snared both wickets in the space of four runs to give the WI Academy hopes of bowling them out early on the last day.