Scorpions bowlers held at bay by Red Force

The Jamaica Scorpions bowlers were made to work on day two of their first-round West Indies Championship clash against the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, who secured a first-innings lead at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy yesterday.

The hosts will resume today's third day on 234 for six, a lead of 93 runs after the Scorpions could only manage 141 runs in their first innings.

The Red Force batting was led by a defiant 72 from Yannic Cariah and an unbeaten 58 from Isiah Rajah.

Resuming the day two on 98 for three, wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva, who was on 32, added only five runs to his overnight score, before he was sent back by Derval Green to leave the Red Force on 104 for four.

That wicket boosted the Scorpions who went hunting for more quick scalps and Marquino Mindley provided another breakthrough when he had Jyd Goolie caught by Jamie Merchant for six at 118 for five.

Cariah, who resumed the day on 11 not out, found a useful partner in Rajah and the pair frustrated the Scorpions with a 116-run sixth-wicket stand, which knocked the stuffing out of the visitors.

Although the Jamaican bowlers were economical, Cariah looked in no rush and used up all of 223 balls in his half-century knock.

After hitting five fours, the left-hander would become the sixth wicket to fall, when he was trapped in front by pacer Nicholson Gordon, who picked up his third wicket of the innings.

Rajah, who has so far hit seven fours in his 58, will resume today with Bryan Charles, who is yet to get off the mark.

Meanwhile, over at the Queens Park Oval, the Guyana Harpy Eagles will resume day three on 181 for five, replying to the Windward Volcanoes' 339 all out, to trail by 158 runs.

Visual Singh will resume on 40 and Keemo Paul 20, against three wickets for pacer Sherman Lewis and two wickets from his opening bowling partner Preston McSween.

Earlier, McSween starred with the bat as his career-best 86 runs batting at number 10, helping the Volcanoes to their formidable score after they resumed on 277 for nine.

McSween and Lewis, who was not out on 31, added a record 124-run partnership for the final wicket to frustrate the Guyanese. Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets for 62 runs, while there were three wickets each for Paul and Veerasammy Permaul.

At the Kensington Oval in Barbados, the host Pride made 324 replying to 172 for nine made by the Leeward Hurricanes, to lead by 152 runs.

Shamar Springer top-scored for the Pride with 91 with wicket-keeper Shane Dowrich getting 86 on his comeback innings to competitive cricket, as the pair put on 175 runs for the sixth wicket. Off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall bagged four wickets for 99 runs with Colin Archibald picking up three wickets for 47 runs.