Looknauth stars as Harpy Eagles crush WI Academy by an innings and 21 runs

…Championship clash against T&T Red Force begins Sunday

Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) produced a commanding all-round performance to defeat the West Indies Academy by an innings and 21 runs on the fourth and final day of their West Indies Championship contest at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.

Resuming day four on 655 for eight with a lead of 170 runs, the Harpy Eagles added just eight runs before being bowled out for 663 in 159.5 overs.
Thaddeus Lovell added only two runs to his overnight score before he was trapped leg before wicket by spinner Zishan Motara for six, leaving the Harpy Eagles on 663 for nine.
Richie Looknauth, who resumed unbeaten on 71, added six more runs before he was caught behind off Amari Goodridge for 77, the final wicket to fall. His innings came from 118 balls and included six fours and one six.
Motara was the standout bowler for the Academy, claiming 6-202 from 46 overs in a lengthy spell. Goodridge, Nathan Edward, Giovonte Depeiza and Rivaldo Clarke supported with one wicket each.
Facing a substantial first innings deficit of 178 runs, the West Indies Academy struggled in their second innings and were dismissed for 157 in 42 overs during the post-lunch session.
Mbeki Joseph top-scored with 28 from 26 balls, striking four fours and a six, while Maverda Dindyal made 41 from 55 deliveries with six boundaries. Giovonte Depeiza contributed 34 from 76 balls, and captain Rivaldo Clarke scored 24.
However, no batter was able to convert their start into a substantial innings as the Harpy Eagles’ bowlers maintained control throughout.
Looknauth capped a memorable match with the ball, taking 6-36 from 12 overs to dismantle the academy batting line-up. He removed Dindyal, Depeiza, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett, Amari Goodridge, Raneico Smith and Kelvin Pitman.
Gudakesh Motie supported with 2-27 from 10 overs, dismissing Clarke and Nathan Edwards, while Thaddeus Lovell claimed 2-56. Veerasammy Permaul also kept things tight with figures of 0-16 from seven overs.
Earlier in the match, the West Indies Academy won the toss and elected to bat, posting what had looked like an imposing 485 all out off the back of Rivaldo Clarke’s 180, a Goodridge century and 60 from Mbeki Joseph.
However, Matthew Nandu’s career-best 237, along with a century on debut from Jonathan Van Lange (133) and Looknauth’s 77, GHE swiftly turned the tide.
Meanwhile in the playoff match between Barbados Pride and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, the latter defeated Barbados by 140 runs to seal a place in the final. Red Force had won the toss and elected to bat, making 333 before returning with the ball to dismiss Barbados for 296 to retain a slender lead. Batting a second time, Red Force were dismissed for 280, setting Barbados 318 for victory. In response, Barbados were skittled for 177, losing by 140 runs.
The Harpy Eagles will now turn their attention to defending their West Indies Championship title against traditional rivals Trinidad and Tobago Red Force when the final begins on Sunday, May 17, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.