Barbados Pride did themselves no favours in their bid for the title when a poor batting display saw them skittled out for just 155 by lowly West Indies Academy on the opening day of their final round match in the West Indies Championship.
Playing at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, WI Academy ended the day in the ascendency on 111-4.
Barbados, one of four teams in with a chance of clinching the title, chose to bat first after winning the toss and was coasting at 104 for three at one stage courtesy of a 61-run fourth wicket partnership between top-scorer Jonathan Drakes (35) and Kevin Wickham (27).
However, they dramatically lost their last seven wickets for just 51 runs, with fast bowlers Johann Layne (3-23) and McKenny Clarke (3-26) doing the bulk of the damage.
Ackeem Auguste then produced an unbeaten 67 to hold WI Academy together, the 20-year-old stroking half-dozen fours and a six in a 98-ball knock.
He put on 48 with Kadeem Alleyne (17) to help pick his side up from a position of four for one, and then put on a further 40 with Carlon Bowen-Tuckett (five not out) in an unbroken fifth wicket stand, after the hosts lost three wickets for 19 runs to slide to 71 for four.
Over at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Mikyle Louis carved out exactly 100 to take his tally for the season to 649 runs as Leeward Islands frustrated leaders Windward Islands Volcanoes.
With his side slumping at 18 for three early in the first session, Louis struck nine fours and a six in a 193-ball knock to prop up the innings and propel Hurricanes to 300 all out.
In the five balls available before the close, Volcanoes lost left-hander Jeremy Solozano for four, to end on six for one – still 294 runs behind.
Fast bowler Ryan John (3-67) and new-ball partner Gilon Tyson (2-33) made key strikes after Hurricanes chose to bat, removing the West Indies trio of Kieran Powell (7), Keacy Carty (0) and Justin Greaves (0) cheaply.
Louis started the recovery in a 78-run, fourth wicket stand with Jahmar Hamilton who struck 34 off 48 balls with half-dozen fours, before putting on a further 111 with 17-year-old Jewel Andrew, whose 68 came from 107 balls and included half-dozen fours and three sixes.
At Sabina Park, Joshua Da Silva gathered 106 as Red Force rebounded from 96 for four to close on 308 for seven against Jamaica Scorpions after being sent in.
Captain Da Silva put on 80 for the fifth wicket with Amir Jangoo who scored 51 off 90 balls, before Navin Bidaisee (31) arrived to add a further 92 for the sixth wicket with Da Silva.
The West Indies gloveman, who faced only 140 deliveries and counted 15 fours and a six, also anchored a seventh wicket stand of 36 with Terrance Hinds (21 not out) before losing his off-stump to left-arm spinner Jeavor Royal (2-76) with the close beckoning.
And at At the Frank Worrell Memorial Ground at UWI St Augustine, title-holders Guyana Harpy Eagles put their noses out front in the title race when they dominated Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners.
Asked to bowl first, they bundled CCC out for 200 with fast bowler Nial Smith (3-45) and veteran left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (3-51) ending with three wickets apiece.
Opener Raymond Perez then led the reply with a fluent, unbeaten 61 off 89 deliveries with nine fours as Harpy Eagles closed on 114 for one – just 86 runs behind.
