Harpy Eagles soar to reclaim Regional Four-Day crown

THE GUYANA Harpy Eagles, who were in sixth place after the third round – and first break – in the 2024 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Four-Day Championships, steadily climbed up the standings to emerge victorious and, in the process, reclaim their overall title after an anti-climatic seventh and final round.

Entering the final round of the regional first-class competition, the Windward Islands Volcanoes were leading the pack with 90 points, with the Barbados Pride (87.6), Harpy Eagles (87.2) and Leeward Islands Hurricanes (84.6) all in contention.

On Saturday, the Volcanoes and Hurricanes played to a draw at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair while, in another rain-affected contest, the West Indies Academy defeated the Pride by three wickets at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Coolidge, Antigua.

A day earlier, the Harpy Eagles spanked the hapless, and hopeless, Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) by eight wickets at the Sir Frank Worrell Ground, UWI, St Augustine, Trinidad and the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force humiliated the lacklustre Jamaica Scorpions by an innings and 125 runs at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica.

When all the dust was settled, the Harpy Eagles finished with 103.8 points, ahead of the Volcanoes (98.2), Hurricanes (94), Pride (92.8), Red Force (92), Academy (71.6), Scorpions (59.4) and CCC (30.2).

Here is a look at the good, and the bad, for each of the performing teams in the seventh and final round (as far as individual displays are concerned) –

GUYANA HARPY EAGLES

Good: A pair of half-centuries from opener Raymond Perez (62 and an unbeaten 79) and captain Tevin Imlach (55 and 50).

In terms of the bowling – Nail Smith (3/45 and 2/35), Isai Thorne (2/45 and 1/45), Kevin Sinclair (0/17 and 2/29), Veerasammy Permaul (3/51 and 2/44) and Gudakesh Motie (2/40 and 2/42). A good all-round performance from the back-to-back champs.

Bad: Tagenarine Chanderpaul may still be on the West Indies travelling party to visit England in July, but he did not inspire confidence this season. He offered edges which were accepted behind the stumps, for 12 and 42 respectively.

COMBINED CAMPUSES AND COLLEGES

Good: Off-spinner Avinash Mahabirsingh, marking his 23rd birthday and first-class debut, with a first-innings haul of 8/51. In terms of the batting, Demario Richards (43) and Romario Greaves (36) had handy knocks in the CCC’s first innings, while skipper Shamarh Brooks (59) and opener Odain McCatty (56) were the only batsmen to offer resistance in the second innings.

Bad: Everything else really, but I’ll just single out opener Damel Evelyn (two and nine) and number-three Sadique Henry (one and duck).

WINDWARD ISLANDS VOLCANOES

Good: The younger brigade leading the way in the second innings for the Volcanoes, with West Indies Under-19 captain Stephan Pascal hitting 63 and Johann Jeremiah scoring 51. Shamar Springer also chipped in with 33 (in the first) and an unbeaten 35 (in the second) innings.

Bad: The loss of form, in the tail-end of the competition, of former West Indies player Jeremy Solozano, who made four and 18, and his recent struggles could literally rule him out of contention for a spot in the WI A team, who will be hosting South Africa during the ‘summer’ (July-August vacation).

LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES

Good: Mikyle Louis has to be member of the Test squad to visit England in July, unless he suffers an injury or an indiscretion. His first innings score of 100 (193 balls, nine fours and a six), and a useful 33 in the second innings, carried his overall aggregate, in his debut season, to a tournament-leading 682.

Jewel Andrew (68) and Jeremiah Louis (43) and, in the second innings, stand-in skipper Keacy Carty (65) had good showings. Although Jeremiah (Mikyle’s elder brother) struggled to get wickets in the last two matches, he, coupled with Andrew and Carty, have to be in the selectors’ thoughts for the A team – at least!

Daniel Doram, who is eligible to represent Netherlands, also had a wonderful game, claiming 6/34 and 4/65 with his left-arm finger spin, while the much-maligned leg-spinner Hayden Walsh, who must have been given some confidence by Carty, had 3/21 and 2/46.

Bad: There is debate as to whether Justin Greaves will hold on to his place on the Test team, with Jason Holder back in the first-class fold. He failed to get a wicket in both innings with his brisk medium-pace and, with the bat, he had returns of duck and 27.

WEST INDIES ACADEMY

Good: Getting a hard-fought win against the Pride. The bowlers stuck to their task – tournament’s leading wicket-taker Joshua Bishop carried his haul to 42 with 2/23 and 3/59 in his respective efforts. Johann Layne (3/23), McKenny Clarke (3/26) and Ramon Simmonds (2/43) were also among the wickets in the first innings; while the consistent Ashmead Nedd (3/80) and Clarke (2/59) contributed in the second innings.

Ackeem Auguste led the way with 76 in the first innings, with Carlon Bowen-Tuckett adding 49, Layne 38 and Clarke 30. In the run chase, openers Rashawn Worrell and Kadeem Alleyne notched 63 and 52 respectively.

Bad: Much more will be expected from middle-order batsman Jordan Johnson next season. He signed off his 2024 campaign with knocks of four and seven.

BARBADOS PRIDE

Good: Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite was the second leading run-scorer for this competition with 565. He was leading the Pride’s fightback in the second innings with 90 before he was dismissed, at a crucial time. Pacer Akeem Jordan justified his recall with 4/76 in the first innings,

Bad: After scoring his maiden first-class century against the Hurricanes in the sixth round, opener Zachary McCaskie could only muster two in the first innings and eight in the second.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO RED FORCE

Good: Joshua Da Silva (who some, especially from Bim, have questioned when it comes to his Test credentials) scoring a vital 106 (140 balls, 15 fours and a six), while Terrence Hinds (79), Amir Jangoo (51), Kjorn Ottley (45) and Khary Pierre (43) had useful contributions.

Bryan Charles (not Brian Charles Lara) dominated the match thereafter, with 6/82 and 7/43 while fellow finger-spinner, left-armer Khary Pierre, chipped in with 3/57 and 1/17.

Bad: In what MAY be (and I emphasises MAY in capital letters since it’s a presumption) his last game at this level, Jason Mohammed only scored one (off five balls).

JAMAICA SCORPIONS

Good: On a pitch which favoured the spinners, left-armer Jeavor Royal took 3/113 and off-break bowler Pete Salmon had 2/83, while pacer Ojay Shields claimed 2/61.

In their first innings, Kirk McKenzie (who will be on the Test team, merely by default) scored 57 and Royal chipped in with 46.

Bad: McKenzie’s absurd dismissal on the third (and final) day summed up the season for the Scorpions, who were the only team to play all their matches at home.

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