Windies wrecking ball
Jomel Warrican’s career-best figures handed West Indies ‘A’ control on the opening day of the second “Test” match against touring England Lions at Sabina Park in Kingston.
At close of play yesterday, the hosts were 159-4 in reply to the Lions’ paltry first-innings score of 145 all out.
Scores: England Lions 145 (57 ovs); West Indies A 159-4 (41 ovs)
The 25-year-old Warrican bettered his previous first-class best of 8-72 when he finished with 8-34 to help wreck the Lions on a pitch that, especially early in the day, provided plenty grip and bounce. His slow-bowling partner Rahkeem Cornwall took the other two wickets to ensure the spinners accounted for all 10 in the innings.
While his teammates at times appeared at sea against the spin, the Lions’ young middle-order batsman Joe Clarke, was accomplished and assured in top-scoring with 56.
West Indies ‘A’ Captain Kieran Powell (55) and fellow left-hand opener John Campbell (47) combined for a typically energetic start that ensured the home team built on Warrican’s platform.
Wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, who made a century in the home team’s win in the first “Test” last week, is not out on 20, while Jahmar Hamilton is on 17.
England Lions also had to rely on slow bowling to make inroads, with left-arm finger spinner Jack Leach and off-break bowler Liam Livingstone claiming two wickets each.
The Lions started their innings well, with openers Keaton Jennings and Haseeb Hameed adding 56 runs for the first wicket after they lost the toss and were asked to bat first in overcast conditions.
West Indies ‘A’ fast bowler Keon Joseph rapped Hameed on the helmet with a sharp, lifting delivery inside the opening 20 minutes. But in general, the pace attack, which also includes Jeremiah Louis and left-armer Raymon Reifer, was inaccurate and failed to make the batsmen play enough throughout the opening hour.
However, Warrican, who also terrorised the Englishmen last week, was in the wickets as soon as he entered the attack in the 19th over. In fact, he was on a hat-trick in the first over he bowled.
First, he spun one away from Hameed (23) and the batsman reached out for a drive and dragged his feet outside the batting crease to be stumped by Dowrich at 56-1.
Left-hander Nick Gubbins (zero) played a forward defensive shot to the very next delivery and edged to slip where Jermaine Blackwood took a regulation catch.
Clarke prevented the hat-trick, but only 20 runs were added to the team total when Jennings (28) was trapped leg before wicket by Cornwall.
It became 77-4 when Warrican’s arm ball beat Liam Livingstone’s shot via the gap between bat and pad. He failed to score.
Alex Davies, brought in to replace wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, was dismissed for four when he chipped down the pitch to Warrican and skied a chance to Shamarh Brooks at cover.
Paul Coughlin (zero) went in unfortunate circumstances when his shot resulted in the ball deflecting off the body of the silly point fielder and lobbing to point where Blackwood cleaned up.
Toby Roland-Jones (four) kept attempting to drive Warrican’s delivery, turning away from him outside off-stump, until he edged a low chance for Cornwall to take.
Jack Leach (one) left alone a straight ball from off-spinner Cornwall that went on to uproot his off stump, and Warrican accounted for Crane (12) to match the seven wickets he took in the second innings in Trelawny.
Clarke, 21, was last man out when he was bowled by Warrican trying to make room for a back-foot drive. He faced 114 balls while hitting seven boundaries. The right-hander’s play was good all-round the wicket, but his stroke-making through the off-side was particularly pleasing.
West Indies were off to a flyer with Campbell not allowing the bowlers to settle.
He was cavalier in his approach while racing to a 46-ball 47 before he tickled a ball spinning into him from Leach to leg slip where Hameed held on comfortably.
Kieran Powell, who survived a stumping chance on three when wicketkeeper Alex Davies failed to gather cleanly off the bowling of spinner Livingstone, eventually broke out his shell.
But he lost partners Jermaine Blackwood (six) and Shamarh Brooks (one) as West Indies ‘A’ fell to 87-3.
Powell was then joined by Hamilton and they lifted the score to 128 before the skipper was dismissed shortly after reaching his 50.