ST JOHN’S, ANTIGUA – The Jamaica Scorpions and Trinidad & Tobago Red Force delivered outstanding performances on Saturday, sealing emphatic victories on the final day of the opening round of the West Indies Championship.
A stunning debut performance from 18-year-old leg-spinner Tamarie Redwood propelled the Scorpions to a resounding 178-run victory over the Windward Islands Volcanoes. Meanwhile, Khary Pierre’s mesmerizing left-arm spin shredded the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) batting line-up, securing a dominant innings-and-75-run triumph for the Red Force.
At Arnos Vale in St. Vincent, the Windward Islands Volcanoes, set a near-impossible 420-run target, resumed the day at 65 for one, hoping to craft a miracle chase.
Teenage sensation wreaks havoc with 7-wicket haul
However, Redwood, playing in his first senior match, transformed the contest into his personal showcase. The precocious leg-spinner ruthlessly dismantled the opposition, finishing with sensational figures of 7-72.
The Volcanoes showed early promise as Sunil Ambris (56) and Keron Cottoy (31) compiled a fighting 60-run stand for the third wicket. But Jeavor Royal (2-81) struck first, removing Cottoy to trigger an all-too-familiar collapse.
With renewed confidence, Redwood turned the match into a spinning spectacle.
“It was an incredible experience to contribute in such a big way. I just focused on hitting the right areas, and thankfully, it paid off,” Redwood later shared.
His defining moment came with a brilliant, sharply turning delivery that completely deceived Gian Benjamin (23), crashing into his stumps in dramatic fashion.
From there, Redwood bulldozed through the lower order, removing Ryan John (1), Shadrack Descarte (47), Kenneth Dember (8), and finally Daurius Martin (0), who was stumped to cap off the scintillating performance.
With that, the Scorpions celebrated a dominant start to their championship campaign, their victory powered by the emergence of a potential new bowling star.
T&T Red Force complete ruthless innings victory
At Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad, Khary Pierre produced a dazzling spell of spin wizardry, single-handedly orchestrating CCC’s downfall with figures of 7-40 from 24 overs.
Starting the day at 90 for one, CCC needed a herculean effort to erase the 192-run deficit and force the Red Force to bat again. Damel Evelyn (57) and Shaqkere Parris (50) showed early resistance, but once Pierre settled into his groove, CCC unraveled spectacularly, losing their last six wickets for a mere 15 runs.
Pierre landed his first breakthrough trapping Avinash Mahabirsingh lbw for 14, before dismissing Evelyn, who had been anchoring the innings.
“We knew if we stayed disciplined, we’d break through eventually. It was about patience and execution,” Pierre said, reflecting on his match-winning performance.
Despite a gritty 52-run partnership between Parris and Sadique Henry (15), the wheels came off when leg-spinner Yannic Cariah removed Henry. The floodgates opened, and Pierre struck again, removing Parris for an even 50—a dismissal that changed the complexion of the match.
What followed was sheer carnage. Demario Richards (0) was castled by Pierre first ball, Kyle Corbin (0) fell lbw to Jyd Goolie, and Pierre mopped up Abhijai Mansingh (5) and Andre Bailey (3), before Goolie ended proceedings by bowling Ojay Shields for a duck.
The victory was sealed in emphatic style, as the Red Force proved why they remain among the powerhouses of regional cricket.
