Smith hits hundred, but Red Force wins – 3rd day, 3rd round

0
384
- Advertisement -

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Devon Smith hits his second hundred of the season and achieved the rare feat of carrying his bat, but failed to save Windward Islands Volcanoes from a 10-wicket defeat against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the Regional 4-Day Champion-ship on Saturday.
The discarded West Indies batsman was undefeated on 119 – his 31st first-class hundred – as the Volcanoes were bowled out for 259 in their second innings about 45 minutes before the close on the third day of the third-round match at Queen’s Park Oval.
Smith smashed 13 fours and one six from 240 balls in close to 5 ½ hours of batting, sharing half-century stands with Tarryck Gabriel for the third wicket and Shane Shillingford for the eighth wicket to beef up the Volcanoes’ total.
Shillingford made 52, Gabriel scored 25 and Kavem Hodge added 20, as the visitors’ batting was undermined by left-arm fast-medium bowler Daniel St. Clair with 4-29 from 13 overs and leg-spinner Imran Khan with 4-67 from 22.2 overs.
Needing 24 for victory, Red Force knocked them off with little trouble just prior to the scheduled close with West Indies batsman Kyle Hope not out on 17 and left-handed opener Amir Jangoo not out on one.
The result was the first victory of the season for the Red Force, giving them 22 points, and was the second straight loss for Volcanoes, whose effort only fetched them five points.
Starting the day on four without loss and needing to climb a mountain to save the match, Volcanoes suffered an early loss, when their captain Tyrone Theophile was caught behind off St. Clair for five.
Kirk Edwards, another discarded West Indies batsman, came to the crease and with Smith carried Volcanoes past 50 in a stand of 47 before he fell to Tion Webster for 19.
Gabriel joined Smith and carried the Volcanoes past the 100 mark with a stand of 51 before he became Khan’s first victim, as the visitors reached 111 for three at lunch.
After lunch, Hodge got together with Smith to take the Volcanoes to 150 before St. Clair bowled him.
This triggered a period of instability that saw the Volcanoes decline to 163 for seven, but Shillingford came to crease and for the next two hours, defied the Red Force‘s attack in tandem with Smith.
Shilliongford hit three fours and two sixes from 95 balls in close to two hours and was there when Smith reached his landmark before he fell in Khan’s 22nd over.
Khan returned to take the last two Volcanoes wickets off the first two deliveries of his following over to leave the Red Force to chase a negligible target.
Red Force hosts three-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars at the Brian Lara Cricket Ground in the next round, when the Volcanoes welcome Barbados Pride to the Arnos Vale Sports Complex in St. Vincent.
 

- Advertisement -