TRINIDAD and Tobago Red Force captain Imran Khan is pleased with his team's performance in the West Indies Four-Day Championship thus far, following Thursday's emphatic innings and 43-run victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes at Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba.
After the Red Force were dismissed for 326 in their first innings stance on Wednesday, the Volcanoes crumbled for 97. Sent back into bat, the visitors showed some fight on the third day but could not hold on and were dismissed for 186 just before tea.
Red Force bowlers shone with ball in the second innings as skipper Khan bagged four wickets for 38 runs, while eventual Man of the Match Anderson Phillip (3/31), Bryan Charles (2/55) and Jayden Seales (1/29) did the rest.
When Windward Islands resumed play on Thursday at 32/3, trailing by 196 runs, overnight batsmen Sherman Lewis and Alick Athanaze continued the chase.
Lewis showed early intent by smashing Red Force pacer Anderson Phillip for four off the first delivery.
He followed up with a half volley boundary off Seales in the second over and then pushed Phillip for another in the third.
Phillip however, took the first scalp in his third over by trapping Alick Athanaze (five) leg-before. Eight balls later, spinner Bryan Charles dismissed new batsman Keron Cottoy without scoring, in similar fashion (60/5).
TT looked set for an early win but Volcanoes batsmen Lewis and Dennis Smith buckled down to build a 39-run partnership which carried the Volcanoes to 99/5 at the lunch break.
At the resumption, skipper Imran Khan broke the deadlock as he also had Lewis (33) trapped in front the stumps (103/6).
Smith continued to toil but incoming batsman Ryan John sounded an early warning as he smashed the ball over Khan's head for the first maximum of the day.
With just three runs coming from the next four overs, Smith targeted Terrance Hinds and hit him for two fours in the same over. Khan however, tasted sweet revenge as he had John (15) trapped leg before wicket to send Volcanoes to 129/7.
John's dismissal made way for left-handed batsman Larry Edward, who only lasted six balls, as Khan struck again, with wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva holding on to a low catch (133/8).
Dennis Smith (65) and Kenneth Dember (25) tried to rally on for the Windward Islands and built a 40-run partnership before the former went out caught by Keagan Simmons off Khan's spin (171/9).
Preston McSween (five) and Dember could only add 15 more runs to the total as he was soon caught on the boundary by Yannic Cariah, attempting a big hit off Charles.
Khan credited a total team effort for the important victory.
'I'm really happy with the performance. I think it was a good all round effort from the guys. It's always good to come out with a victory and I think that's the most important thing,' he said.
He was in high praise of the team's bowling attack, particularly the efforts of pacers Phillip, Seales and Hinds. Phillip (4/32) and Seales (3/30) were integral in dismantling the Windward Islands during their first
