Act 2 Scene 1; West Indies Academy out for series sweep against Emerging Ireland
After their brilliant performance in the opening four-day first-class match, West Indies Academy will look to out on another show when they face Emerging Ireland in the second contest.
West Indies played well in all three departments to earn an emphatic innings and 134-run victory in the opening encounter at Coolidge Cricket Ground. Now they return to the scene of the success, starting Saturday. First ball is 10am (9am Jamaica time) on Saturday. Fans can watch the LIVE ball-by-ball action on the Windies Cricket YouTube page.
Leading the charge for the Academy was Joshua Bishop, whose maiden first-class century was the cornerstone of their formidable first innings. Bishop's century, combined with significant contributions from Teddy Bishop, Kevlon Anderson, and Johann Layne, each notching half-centuries, set a towering challenge for the Irish side.
The Academy's prowess was not limited to their batting. Isai Thorne, in a stunning bowling performance, claimed 4-8 in the Academy's second innings. Thorne's spell, characterized by pace and aggression, was pivotal in dismantling Emerging Ireland's batting lineup. This performance drew high praises from the Academy's skipper, Nyeem Young, who lauded the teenager’s understanding of the conditions and his ability to exploit them.
Young said of Thorne:
“He has some good pace and some good skills and he’s also quite young. It’s very good to have him around the squad as he brings some good energy on the field especially when he has the ball. Taking eight wickets on first-class debut is an amazing feat and I’m looking forward to see how he goes.”
Young added:
“It’s a good continuation from the Headley-Weekes series where we were very successful as a four-day team. We had some really good performances from the boys and we’re just looking forward to continuing doing what we’ve been doing so far.”
-ENDS-