Devon Thomas stroked the first century of the new first-class season to lead a stirring Leeward Islands Hurricanes fightback against Barbados Pride on the penultimate day of the opening round of matches in the West Indies Championship four-day tournament on Friday.

The right-hander finished with 112 – his seventh first class hundred – as Hurricanes closed on 294-7 and a lead of 142 runs on a good pitch at Kensington Oval. Keacy Carty, the former West Indies U19 batting star, struck 55 and captain Jahmar Hamilton, an unbeaten 40, efforts which combined to get the visitors out of trouble at 55-2.

Scoreboard here: https://www.windiescricket.com/matches/210949/#scorecard

Starting their second innings after Pride had been dismissed at the close of Thursday’s second day for 324 and a first innings lead of 152 runs, Hurricanes lost Montcin Hodge for five and Kieran Powell for 27, after the left-hander had added 34 for the second wicket with Carty.

However, Carty and Thomas then combined in a wonderful 128-run, third wicket stand which thwarted Pride’s hopes of running through the innings.

Thomas, who top-scored in the first innings with 58, punched 17 fours in a knock spanning 140 balls and nearly 3-¼ hours while Carty faced 134 balls in just under three hours and counted four fours. When Carty perished – leg before to Kraigg Brathwaite (2-7), Thomas added a further 40 for the fifth wicket with Hamilton who also put on 34 for the seventh wicket with Terrance Warde (12) to sustain momentum for Hurricanes and set up an intriguing final day on Saturday.

At the Brian Lara Stadium, hosts Trinidad & Tobago Red Force were closing in on victory after being set 81 for victory by Jamaica Scorpions. At the close, they were 22 without loss, requiring only 59 more runs to overhaul their target.

Scoreboard here: https://www.windiescricket.com/matches/210951/#scorecard

Resuming the third morning on 234-6, Red Force were dismissed for 273 to secure a first innings lead of 132, with Isaiah Rajah pushing his overnight 58 to 65 before being eighth out. Fast bowler Marquino Mindley snatched 5-70 while new-ball partner Nicholson Gordon captured 4-65.

In their second turn at the crease, Scorpions made 212 all out with only Test opener John Campbell (45); while Derval Green (41 not out) and Jamie Merchant (30) showed some enterprise to bolster the lower order. Left-hander Campbell hit five fours and two sixes in a breezy 66-ball knock, putting on 41 for the second wicket with Jermaine Blackwood (16), before both fell in a slide where five wickets tumbled for 66 runs, as fast bowler Anderson Phillip (5-82) tore through the middle order.

Tottering on 123-6, Green and Merchant stitched up the innings in a 54-run, seventh wicket stand but the effort proved in vain as leg-spinner Imran Khan (3-46) triggered another slide towards the end.

At Queen’s Park Oval: left-hander Vishaul Singh narrowly missed out on a ninth first class century while Keemo Paul slammed a half-century, both helping Guyana Harpy Eagles take control of their clash with Windward Islands Volcanoes. Resuming on his overnight 40 with Harpy Eagles on 181-5 in their first innings, Vishaul made 93 off 221 balls with nine fours, in a 146-run, sixth wicket partnership with Paul whose 73 came from 133 balls and included six boundaries and a six.

Scoreboard here: https://www.windiescricket.com/matches/210950/#scorecard

Bowled out for 327 to trail by 12 runs, Eagles hit back through Paul (2-30) who hurt Volcanoes with his medium-fast, reducing them to 157-7 at the close – an overall lead of 169 runs. Volcanoes were in deep trouble at 77-5 but 23-year-old Alick Athanze, who hit a first innings half-century, returned with 58 to rescue his side before Larry Edward gathered an unbeaten 29 at Number 8 to further frustrate Harpy Eagles.