FGS Plant Tour opponents: Windward Islands Volcanoes
Monday 30th January 2017
Windward Islands, comprised of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica and St Lucia, have lifted the Super50 title three times, most recently in 2013.
Experienced West Indies batsman Johnson Charles and Devon Smith will carry the responsibility with the bat supported by wicketkeeper Sunil Ambris and internationals all-rounders Andre Fletcher and Darren Sammy.
Slow left-armer Kavem Hodge and off-spinners Liam Sebastien and Shane Shillingford can be a threat with the ball in Caribbean conditions and veteran Shillingford was the tournament’s top scorer when they last lifted the trophy.
Aside from the star all-rounders Andre Fletcher and Darren Sammy, seam options included medium-pacer Kyle Mayers, former U19 international paceman Delorn Johnson (a left-armer) and Mervin Matthew.
The Volcanoes won their opening match against West Indies Under 19s by 21 runs.
A under-par batting display was rescued by Ambris (54) and Sebastien (31) as they recovered from 55-4 with tail-end resistance helping the Windwards to a defendable total.
Matthew was the pick of the bowlers with 4/38 with Johnson taking the new ball and 2/33.
Sammy managed just five overs and Fletcher kept wicket as spinners Sebastien and Shillingford took a wicket each in economical spells as the junior world champions fell short of the target with a wicket to spare.
The second match was a close encounter too as the Volcanoes lost to Super 50 holders T&T Red Force.
Trinidad and Tobago invited Windward to bat first and Ambris top-scored with 69 with Darren Sammy’s 60 off 36 balls in a late assault which plundered more than 100 runs in the final 10 overs with help from Johnson’s 26 off 16.
In reply, the new ball did not make a breakthrough Mayers took 3/59 in the middle overs and Sebastien claimed 2/31 in ten tidy overs before Red Force won with two overs to spare.
Fletcher bowled two overs at the death as he relinquished the gloves to Ambris.
On Sunday, Volcanoes lost heavily to Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the Coolidge, conceding 333 runs with skipper Sebastien the pick of the bowlers with 3/42.
In reply, the middle-order of Darren Sammy (33), Kyle Mayers (45) and Shane Shillingford (27) were the only batsmen to reach double figures as they collapsed to 149 all out and a 184-run defeat.
Windward Islands Volcanoes: Liam Sebastien, Andre Fletcher, Devon Smith, Tyron Theophile, Johnson Charles, Kaveem Hodge, Sunil Ambris, Daren Sammy, Kyle Mayers, Delom Johnson, Audy Alexander, Shane Shillingford, Kesrick Williams, Mervin Matthew.