ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – A devastating spell from former West Indies Under-19 World Cup-winning pacer Chemar Holder transformed a depressing day for Barbados Pride and stunned hosts Jamaica Scorpions in the West Indies Championship on Thursday.
Holder tore apart the top half of the Scorpions batting with a hostile spell of 5-21 in seven overs and helped the Pride quickly forget their earlier batting failure on the first day of third-round matches in the Championship.
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Five-time defending champions Guyana Jaguars, led by half-centuries from Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Anthony Bramble and Christopher Barnwell, overcame penetrative bowling from off-spinner Bryan Charles to keep the balance of power neutral against current leaders Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in the main act of this round of matches.
And, not a ball was bowled in the contest between Windward Islands Volcanoes and Leeward Islands Hurricanes.
Pride (219) vs Scorpions 53-6 at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica
Scorpions captain John Campbell, the West Indies opening batsman, has so far hit the top score of 25 for the hosts, but no other batsmen reach double figures.
Six wickets fell for 27 in the space of 63 balls and the home team’s batsmen once again failed to ease concerns about their consistency.
Earlier, familiarity bred success for Marquino Mindley and part-time, fellow pacer Rovman Powell, when they shared seven Pride wickets.
Mindley, a member of the Pride squad for the last two seasons, was the pick of the Scorpions bowler with 4-31 from 13 overs and Powell, who has played a few seasons of club cricket in Barbados, snared 3-65 from 19 overs.
Opener Shayne Moseley ended with the top score of 64 for Pride after they were put into bat and Kyle Mayers supported with 53 to further prop up the visitors’ batting.
Jaguars 263-6 vs Red Force at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, Guyana
Choosing to bat in their first home game of the new season, Jaguars were steady in their approach.
Chanderpaul led the way with a typically obdurate 68, his third half-century of the season; Anthony Bramble was unbeaten on 63 and Barnwell curbed his natural aggression to gather 58.
Charles was the most successful Red Force bowler with 4-62 from 23 overs, but Chanderpaul anchored half-century stands with Barnwell and Bramble to bring some stability to the batting.
Jaguars wobbled to 80 for three in the first hour after lunch, Chanderpaul shared 86 for the fourth wicket with Barnwell and 85 for the fifth wicket with Bramble to add some beef to the total.