West Indies 4-Day Championships 2024: EAGLES THRASH VOLCANOES BY 254 RUNS

– as Smith, Permaul, Imlach, Chanderpaul record star performances

Facing a steep 420-run ask for victory, the Windwards Islands Volcanoes’ batting crumbled for a second time, in stark contrast to the commanding display put on by the Guyana Harpy Eagles’ duo of Captain Tevin Imlach and batsman Tagenarine Chanderpaul, as the contest between these two teams ended in exciting fashion on the third day.
Though the Harpy Eagles again had their opponents reeling under 50 runs, as had happened in the first innings, they faulted in not being clinical enough to wrap things up early; and the Volcanoes’ duo of Shamar Springer and Ryan John almost forced a fourth day’s play, but heroes Nial Smith and Veerasammy Permaul rose to the occasion in each taking five-wicket hauls to get the job done.
The Harpy Eagles had resumed batting on 168-1, with the duo of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Captain Tevin Imlach both nearing the century mark. Imlach reached that milestone first, in 223 balls, and went on to amass a score of 107 runs from 243 deliveries, including nine boundaries.

Chanderpaul was not out on 101 from 248 balls, encompassing 2 sixes and 9 boundaries, when the Harpy Eagles declared after lunch on 224-2. That meant the Eagles had a cumulative lead of 420 runs.
Nial Smith was chiefly responsible for the Volcanoes unravelling in the second innings, as he bowled Jeremy Solozano for a duck and later took a catch off his own bowling to dismiss Kymani Melius for a run-a-ball 3. He
went on to claim the wickets of Alick Athanaze and Sunil Ambris to end after tea with figures of 4-24 from 9 overs.
Veerasammy Permaul ably assisted the bowling assault by picking up two wickets for 7 runs in 6 overs.
At that point, the Volcanoes were reduced to 45-6, still trailing by 375 runs with only 4 wickets in hand, when Springer and John collaborated to avoid an embarrassing capitulation by getting their team into the 90s. The Eagles tried other bowlers in a futile search for a breakthrough, but it did not come until Smith and Permaul were reintroduced into the attack.
Permaul broke the partnership by trapping John lbw for 41 off 65 deliveries, and later took the wickets of Larry Edward and Daurius Martin to claim figures of 5-47 from 24.2 overs. Smith added to his harvest of scalps by taking the wicket of Darel Cyrus to end with 5-29 from 11 overs.
Springer was the Volcanoes’ last man standing with an unbeaten 69 from 137 deliveries, which included 8 fours and one six.
After decimating the Volcanoes for 165 in 56.2 overs, the Harpy Eagles secured a massive 254-run victory.
The West Indies Championships will again take a break, and resume on April 10 with the Harpy Eagles battling the Jamaica Scorpions in Round 6 at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.