Powell steals Diego show versus rejigged Red Force, Mindley mauls Windwards, Chanderpaul defies Pride

A whirlwind century by opening batsman Kieran Powell today gave the Leeward Islands Hurricanes a commanding start at the Diego Martin Sporting Complex against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, as action resumed in the four-day West Indies Championship.

at the close of Day One, the Hurricanes were 308 for 7, with lower-order batsmen Jeremiah Louis (16*) and Hayden Walsh (8*) at the crease. But mostly responsible for the sizeable total was the 139 off 211 balls by 32-year-old Nevisian Powell, who once attempted a switch to professional baseball in the US.

Photo: Leeward Islands opener Kieran Powell works one through the on-side during Championship action against the T&T Red Force at the Diego Martin Sporting Complex on 18 May 2022.
Powell struck 139 off 211 balls.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)

This morning, the Cricket West Indies (CWI) formally granted the Diego Martin Sporting Complex ‘first-class status’ , and MP Colm Imbert joined CWI Director of Sport Jimmy Adams in the box for the venue’s first regional match—some four months after it was used for the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

“Nothing is needed to be done to the venue,” Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) president Azim Bassarath told CWI Media. “The venue is in perfect condition.”


Red Force head coach David Furlonge said he would have been happy with some more grass, though. Furlonge described the surface as ‘easy’ and, having won the toss, the Hurricanes could not wait to have a bat.

Just 11 balls into the innings, Red Force pacer Jayden Seales had opener Montcin Hodge caught by Bryan Charles for a duck. But the visitors built steadily from there, with Powell at the centre of everything.

The left-hander struck 17 fours and two sixes, sharing in a 100-run partnership with Amir Jangoo and two half-century partnerships with Kacey Carty and Terance Warde.

Photo: T&T Red Force pacer Jayden Seales in action against the Jamaica Scorpions during Day One of the West Indies Championship in Tarouba on 9 February 2022.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)

There is no shortage of quality in the Red Force’s bowling line-up, which includes four players with West Indies experience: Shannon Gabriel, Anderson Phillip, Akeal Hosein and Seales. However, Furlonge suggested that they may have been ‘rusty’ after the long break that followed the second round in February.

“We gave away too many boundary balls—when we checked it out, we gave away 160-odd runs in boundaries,” said Furlonge. “[…] The pitch was easy [so we had] to bowl on one side of the wicket and set fields to one side of the wicket. But it becomes difficult if the bowlers are not bowling consistently to the field.

“[…] But saying that, we came back well in the last session and got some wickets. So we are looking to bowl them out early tomorrow.”

The Red Force were led in the feild today not by Imran Khan but by wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva. Furlonge revealed that the Red Force captain, and opener Keagan Simmons had both been ruled out by positive Covid-19 tests.

Photo: T&T Red Force captain and wrist-spinner Imran Khan (left) bowls to Jamaica Scorpions lower-order batsman Derval Green (centre) during Day Three of the West Indies Championship encounter in Tarouba on 11 February 2022.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)

Top-order batsman Isaiah Rajah and pacer Terrance Hinds were also omitted from the team that beat the Windward Islands Volcanoes by an innings and 43 runs on 17 February, with specialist batsmen Tion Webster and Darren Bravo, along with pacer Gabriel and spinner Hosein taking their places.


The rejigged Red Force line-up will hope to prove their worth tomorrow against the restless Hurricanes, who will leapfrog Red Force into second place with a win in this contest.

A half-hour’s drive away at the Queen’s Park Oval, the Guyana Harpy Eagles tried to give themselves a solid start against defending champions and current table-toppers, Barbados Pride.

Guyana won the toss and also chose to bat, amassing 219 runs for four wickets from their 90 overs. Like the Leewards’, their innings was also built on the back of a contribution from their opening batsman. However, if Powell’s method could be likened to ‘power soca’, Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s measured and deliberate style is more akin to a Black Prince calypso.

Photo: Guyana opening batsman Tagenarine Chanderpaul.
(via Guyana Cricket Board)

At the close of play, Chanderpaul, son of iconic but stodgy former West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, had faced 259 balls with just six fours in his 64, a strike rate of 24.7.

He is still there and not short of partners. So Barbados captain Kraigg Brathwaite will need to get his thinking cap on.

 At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba where the Jamaica Scorpions and Windward Islands Volcanoes were going at it, there was more obvious excitement to be found.

Both nations lost their opening two matches and a third defeat would mean curtains for any title ambitions in the current season. Today, though, Jamaican pacer Marquino Mindley had something else in, eh, mind for ‘Jamrock’ .

Mindley claimed 5/20 and, with fellow fast bowler Nicholson Gordon snaring 4/43, they hustled the Volcanoes out for 137 in just 51.1 overs. Jamaica closed the day on 118 for 4, with Mindley at the crease as night watchman, after the West Indies batting trio of John Campbell (48), Jermaine Blackwood (26) and Nkrumah Bonner (2) all flattered to deceive.

Photo: Jamaica pacer Marquino Mindley (with ball) celebrates his 5/20 haul against the Windward Islands in West Indies Championship action in Tarouba on 18 May 2022.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)

Brandon King is expected to join Mindley tomorrow morning as the Scorpions look to finally put a win on the board. However, the Windwards pace pair of Preston McSween and Sherman Lewis may well have something to say about that.

West Indies Regional Championship match summaries

(At Diego Martin Sporting Complex)

Leeward Islands Hurricanes: 308 for 7 (89 overs) (Kieran Powell 139, Amir Jangoo 58, Kacey Carty 31; Jayden Seales 2/35)

Leeward Islands won the toss.

(At Queen’s Park Oval)

Guyana Harpy Eagles: 219 for 4 (90 overs) (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 64*, Tevin Imlach 53, Leon Johnson 37; Akeem Jordan 2/50)

Guyana won the toss.

(At Brian Lara Cricket Academy)

Windward Islands Volcanoes: 137 all out (51.1 overs) (Keron Cottoy 50, Kavem Hodge 23; Marquino Mindley 5/20, Nicholson Gordon 4/43)

Jamaica Scorpions: 118 for 4 (30.4 overs) (John Campbell 48, Leroy Lugg 36, Jermaine Blackwood 26; Preston McSween 2/38)

Jamaica won the toss, trail by 19 runs.

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About Lasana Liburd

Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.

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2 comments

  1. This article is TERRIBLE reporting and appalling journalism. You’ve described Kieran Powell as “a 32 year old Nevisian who once attempted to switch to baseball” instead of reporting the facts on Kieran Powell who has played 40 Tests for the West Indies, who was a history-making Captain for West Indies A team and who was once groomed as West Indies next senior team Captain!!

    The fact that your own surname implies you / your family originate from the same region as Powell, one of the most famous sportsmen to ever emerge from the Leeward Islands, makes this article even more offensive to cricket enthusiasts around the world who know and love watching this classy and much gifted WEST INDIES PLAYER.

    In future, if you claim to be “a journalist with 20 years’ experience” and claim to have worked for US / UK publications (which I do not believe to be credible for even a minute) at least do your research properly and give players the dues they deserve and keep your personal bias seperate from your professional duty of care to report fairly.

    • So did the reporter trump up his own biographical facts or did he choose a fact that YOU deem less important than the cricketing ones YOU identify?

      Get a life, guy! Sorry to puncture your balloon.

      Opting for facts that YOU don’t particularly care for does not by any definition constitute “TERRIBLE reporting and appalling journalism.”

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