BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – An excellent all-rounder display from Rahkeem Cornwall rallied Leeward Islands Hurricanes and left Barbados Pride with an uphill task, heading into the third day of their opening round Regional Four-Day Championship contest at Warner Park.
The burly 23-year-old smashed a lively 84 as the Hurricanes, resuming from their overnight 210 for five, were dismissed for an impressive 377 in their first innings on Saturday’s second day.
Nkrumah Bonner, unbeaten on 70 overnight, fell short of three figures with 94.
Off-spinner Kenroy Williams grabbed four of the five wickets to fall to finish with four for 26 while captain and seamer Kevin Stoute claimed three for 35.
In response, Pride ended the day on 102 for three, still 275 runs adrift of overhauling their target.
West Indies A captain, Shamarh Brooks, was unbeaten on 28 while opener Omar Phillips made 24 and Test batsman Roston Chase, 22.
Once again, Cornwall proved to be the Hurricanes’ main asset, picking up two for 41, to give them honours on the day.
His innings had earlier also given the hosts the momentum, as he and Bonner combined to extend their sixth wicket stand to 68, before being separated.
Unbeaten on six overnight, Cornwall, one of the successes on the recent West Indies A tour of Sri Lanka, faced 150 balls in a shade over three hours at the crease and counted 12 fours and a six.
Bonner, meanwhile, hit 11 fours in a knock spanning 254 deliveries and 5-1/4 hours.
When the Jamaican fell, Cornwall anchored another key partnership, adding a further 55 for the seventh wicket with Jacques Taylor whose 29 required 117 balls in just over two hours and contained three fours and a six.
Cornwall then set Barbados back early when he bowled Anthony Alleyne for 19 at 26 for one in the ninth over of the innings before Brooks and Phillips put on 35 to steady the reply.
When Phillips became Cornwall’s second victim at 61 for two, Brooks and Chase posted 38 for the third wicket – a stand that appeared set to take Pride safely to the close without further loss.
But the introduction of off-spinner Jacques Taylor accounted for Chase, lbw at 99 for three, to give Hurricanes the advantage.
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LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES 377 (Nkrumah Bonner 94, Rahkeem Cornwall 84, Jahmar Hamilton 65, Chesney Hughes 31, Kieran Powell 26; Kenroy Williams 4-26, Kevin Stoute 3-35)
BARBADOS PRIDE 102 for three (Roston Chase 29, Omar Phillips 24; Rahkeem Cornwall 2-42)
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HURRICANES 1st Innings (overnight 210 for five)
*K Powell c Williams b Stoute 26
K Carty lbw b Greaves 0
M Hodge lbw b Stoute 8
C Hughes b Warrican 31
N Bonner c wkp Rampersad b Chase 94
+J Hamilton c Roach b Stoute 65
R Cornwall c Stoute b Williams 84
J Taylor c and b Williams 29
H Walsh Jr cot out 19
G Tonge c Phillips b Williams 11
Q Boatswain c Phillips b Williams 1
Extras (b1, lb8) 9
TOTAL (all out, 157.5 overs) 377
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-38, 3-39, 4-92, 5-204, 6-272, 7-327, 8-348, 9-368, 10-377.
Bowling: Roach 18-7-43-0, Greaves 14-6-34-0, Stoute 25-11-35-3, Chase 18-4-60-1, Warrican 50-17-104-1, Charles 23-6-64-0, Brooks 1-0-2-0, Williams 8.5-1-26-4.
PRIDE 1st Innings
O Phillips c Bonner b Cornwall 24
A Alleyne b Cornwall 19
S Brooks not out 28
R Chase lbw b Taylor 22
J Warrican not out 1
Extras (b1, lb1, nb5) 7
TOTAL (3 wkts, 36 overs) 102
To bat: K Stoute, K Williams, +M Rampersad, J Greaves, K Roach, N Charles.
Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-61, 3-99.
Bowling: Tonge 7-3-9-0, Boatswain 6-2-24-0, Cornwall 15-3-41-2 (nb4), Walsh 5-1-20-1, Taylor 3-1-6-1.
Position: Pride trail by 275 runs with seven wickets remaining.
Toss: Hurricanes.
Umpires: Joel Wilson, Carl Tuckett.