JOHN’S, Antigua—In an exhilarating opening day of the second round of the West Indies Championship on Wednesday, the Jamaican Scorpions and Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) delivered riveting performances against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Guyana Harpy Eagles, respectively.
At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the Scorpions demonstrated both brilliance and vulnerability. Captain John Campbell orchestrated an impressive century—his seventh first-class hundred—scoring 126 runs from 150 balls. The innings began with a dynamic 79-run opening partnership with Carlos Brown, who contributed 22, followed by an 84-run stand with Kirk McKenzie, propelling the Scorpions to 199 for two at one stage.
However, the momentum was halted when pacer Jeremiah Louis dismissed McKenzie for 33. Captain Campbell then paired with Jermaine Blackwood, who added 36 runs, solidifying the team’s initial dominance. But a subsequent collapse ensued after Rahkeem Cornwall bowled Blackwood for 10, resulting in the loss of seven wickets for just 107 runs.
Left-arm pacer Colin Archibald claimed the prized wicket of Campbell, while Hayden Walsh Jr further disrupted the innings by dismissing Daniel Beckford for 4 and Odean Smith for 17, bringing the score to 249 for six. Cornwall then struck again, trapping Jeavor Royal lbw for 14, and Louis returned to remove both Gordon Bryan and Marquino Mindley for 1 and 2 runs respectively. Amid the chaos, Brad Barnes provided a stabilizing presence, remaining unbeaten on 53 from 116 balls as the Scorpions finished their innings at 306 for nine.
Bowling highlights for the Hurricanes included Louis’s figures of 3-35, Cornwall’s 3-71, and Walsh Jr’s 2-78.
A spirited fightback in Guyana
Meanwhile, at the Guyana National Stadium, the CCC batsmen staged an inspiring recovery against the defending champions, the Guyana Harpy Eagles. Despite losing two early wickets, the visitors managed to reach 279 for six at the end of the opening day.
The CCC’s resurgence began when West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph had opener Damel Evelyn caught behind for 5, and Ronaldo Alimohamed removed Sadique Henry lbw for 10, reducing CCC to 30 for two in the first hour. However, a vital partnership between Johann Jeremiah and Shaqkere Parris, which added a solid 128 runs for the third wicket, steadied the innings. Parris contributed a robust 56 before falling to veteran spinner Veerasammy Permaul, and shortly thereafter, Alimohamed claimed a well-played 84 from Jeremiah, leaving CCC at 170 for four.
The recovery continued as Kyle Corbin and Demario Richards combined for an 83-run stand for the fifth wicket, lifting the score to 253. But Permaul struck decisively by dismissing Richards for 40, and Alimohamed wrapped up proceedings by taking Abhijai Mansingh for a duck just before close. With Kyle Corbin remaining unbeaten on 62 from 146 balls, CCC ended the day hoping to build on their resilience and post a competitive first-innings total.
Alimohamed finished with 3-37 while Permaul recorded 2-67.
