West Indies Championships-Looknauth claims 4-fer on debut, Forde hits 82 in see-saw opening day

The 2025 West Indies Championships bowled off at four venues across the Caribbean on Wednesday, and close to home, it was a see-saw first day between the hosts Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) and Barbados Pride at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

After rain delayed the start of play and the visitors won the toss and opted to take first strike, the Harpy Eagles got going with an all-pace attack and it was not long before the hosts found success as Nial Smith trapped Barbadian opener Leniko Boucher for 19 from 28 in just the sixth over.
Three rotations later, a wicket maiden from Ronaldo Alimohamed saw the Bajan Captain, Raymon Reifer being sent back to the dugout for six runs. The remainder of the morning session saw the Harpy Eagles bowlers toiling tirelessly as an 88-run partnership between Zachary McCaskie and Jonathan Drakes got Barbados out of trouble.

McCaskie and Drakes got to the lunch break with their partnership unbroken, with the visitors having put up 104-2 by that time.
After lunch, Alimohamed returned to claim his second wicket, picking up the prized scalp of McCaskie, who edged the Guyanese pacer’s delivery to wicketkeeper Kemol Savory. McCaskie had to depart for 64 (seven fours and two sixes )off 75 deliveries.

Then the introduction of the Harpy Eagles’ debutant, Richie Looknauth, brought favour to the side as he sent Kevin Wickham and Demetrius Richards packing for 3 and 13 runs respectively. Then, when it appeared as though Drakes would cruise his way to three figures, it was Looknauth again who produced the goods.
Looknauth got just enough turn on a delivery in the 48th over to trap Drakes lbw for 70 off 119 balls, effecting Barbados’ sixth wicket. In his time at the crease, Drakes found the boundary 11 times.

Though the set batters had departed, the pair of Matthew Forde and Chaim Holder held on for a 30-run partnership by the tea interval, where Barbados found themselves 221-6.
The duo turned on the heat in the final session of the day, constructing a 119-run partnership in the space of 29 overs.
However, Looknauth again spoiled Barbados’ party, churning out another lbw-worthy delivery to dismiss Holder for 35. The following over, Veerasammy Permaul, who looked a shadow of himself earlier, tossed one up just enough to bait Forde into dancing down the track. The Barbadian batsman, however, missed and Savory was happy to remove his bails for the wicket.

Forde found himself 18 runs short of a century, hitting a fiery 82 in 91 balls, including eight fours and three sixes. Chemar Holder was the Pride’s last guard, chipping in 29 before becoming Anthony Adams’ first victim of the day.
Eventually, the visitors were bowled out for 346 in 84.3 overs.
Looknauth ended the day with figures of 4-69 from 17 overs while Alimohamed and Permaul claimed 2 wickets each, alongside one apiece from Smith and Adams.
Regional 4-Day action continues at the same venue from 10:00h today when the Harpy Eagles head out to bat.