Cameron Green looks set to miss Australia's first Test against India, with vice-captain Steve Smith suggesting it will be unlikely the all-rounder features in Nagpur.
Green suffered a fractured finger during the Boxing Day Test with South Africa in December, and has not played a first-class match since then.
He sustained a further knock to the injury while in a training camp ahead of Thursday's opening match, casting further doubt on his participation.
Now, Smith has indicated it will be a long shot for Green to feature at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, with the tourists reluctant to rush him back into the fray.
"I don't think he is [going to play]," he said. "I don't think he has even faced fast bowlers. So I dare say he won't be playing.
"Who knows [though]? I'm not entirely sure. We'll wait and see. But it's unlikely, I think."
Having eschewed a warm-up game ahead of the four-match series, Australia will be heading into their clash in Nagpur with only a few days on Indian surfaces under their belt.
Smith is reluctant to speculate how the pitch will affect his side's selections when it comes to their bowling attack, adding: "It's pretty dry.
"There's a section that's quite dry. Other than that, I can't really get a good gauge on it. I don't think there will be a heap of bounce in the wicket.
"I think for the seamers, it will be quite skiddy and maybe [have] a bit of up-and-down movement as the game goes on. The cracks felt quite loose. We'll wait and see when we get out there."
Australia's T20 captain Aaron Finch has announced his retirement from all international cricket.
The 36-year-old called it quits in ODIs last September, but continued to captain Australia later in the year in the T20 format as they looked to defend their World Cup title on home soil.
However, Finch's side failed to reach the semi-finals despite the right-handed batsman top-scoring in a group-stage victory over Ireland, one that ultimately ended up being his last international match.
Finch has called it a day after a fantastic international career, during which he set the record for the highest score in a T20I with his 172-run innings against Zimbabwe in 2018.
He played for Australia 254 times across the three formats with 146 ODIs and 103 T20Is, as well as five Test matches.
Finch will continue playing for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League after racking up 3,120 T20I runs, putting him sixth in the all-time rankings.
Finch told reporters at the MCG: "Realising that I won’t be playing on until the next T20 World Cup in 2024, now is the right moment to step down and give the team time to plan and build towards that event.
"I also want to say a huge thank you to all the fans who have supported me throughout my international career."
Finch captained his country in 76 T20Is and 55 ODIs, with his finest hour as Australia skipper coming in 2021 when he led them to the T20 World Cup, while he was also part of the team that won the 50-over Cricket World Cup in 2015.
Finch added: "Team success is what you play the game for and the maiden T20 World Cup win in 2021 and lifting the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2015 will be the two memories I cherish the most.
"To be able to represent Australia for 12 years and play with and against some of the greatest players of all time has been an incredible honour."
A maiden Test double hundred from Tagenarine Chanderpaul and a 12th Test century from captain Kraigg Brathwaite have put the West Indies in an excellent position after day three of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
The day began with Chanderpaul and Brathwaite resuming from their overnight score of 221-0 with Brathwaite on 116 and Chanderpaul on 101.
The pair took their opening partnership to 336 before Brathwaite was trapped leg before wicket to Wellington Masakadza for 182. His knock lasted 312 balls and included eight fours.
With the Windies 336-1, Kyle Mayers was promoted to number three to provide quick runs and did that, contributing 20 off just 24 balls before he became the first of Brandon Mavuta’s five wickets.
The 25-year-old leg spinner then claimed the wickets of Raymon Reifer (2), Jermaine Blackwood (5), Roston Chase (7) and Jason Holder (11) to complete his maiden Test five-wicket haul.
During all that, Chanderpaul brought up his maiden Test double ton off 416 balls, finishing up not out on 207 off 467 balls as the West Indies declared on 447-6 after 143 overs.
Mavuta ended with figures of 5-140 off 41 overs.
The Zimbabwean reply started well as openers Innocent Kaia and Tanunurwa Makoni saw off the West Indian new ball pair of Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph in the process of bringing up their 50-run partnership in the 21st over.
Makoni’s resistance ended in the 27th over when he flashed at a wide one from Joseph, being easily caught by Kyle Mayers at slip with the partnership at 63.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie then got in on the action in the 32nd over when he produced a feint edge off Chamu Chibhabha which West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva safely held. Chibhabha made nine.
Kaia then brought up his maiden Test fifty off 98 balls.
With the Zimbabweans seemingly heading towards stumps with eight wickets in the shed, West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite decided to try his hand at bowling the last over of the day.
The decision proved to be a genius one as Brathwaite removed opposite number Craig Ervine for 13 to leave the hosts 114-3 off 41.4 overs at stumps, trailing the Windies by 333 runs.
Scores: West Indies 447-6 declared off 143 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 207*, Kraigg Brathwaite 182, Brandon Mavuta 5-140) Zimbabwe 114-3 off 41.4 overs (Innocent Kaia 59*, Tanunurwa Makoni 33, Kraigg Brathwaite 1-5, Gudakesh Motie 1-25, Alzarri Joseph 1-25)
The Guyana Harpy Eagles have a 9.8-point lead at the top of the table after round one of the 2023 West Indies Championship.
The Harpy Eagles, who won five straight titles from 2015-2019, have 20 points after hammering defending champions Barbados Pride, who are last with 4.8 points, by 183 runs in round one at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
The Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and the Windward Islands Volcanoes are second and third with 10.2 and 8.4 points, respectively, after playing to a draw at the St. George’s Cricket Ground in Grenada.
Fourth is occupied by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes with 7.4 points after narrowly missing out on an outright win over the Jamaica Scorpions at Coolidge. Their round one opponents are fifth with 6.2 points.
Round two gets underway on February 8 with Jamaica facing Barbados at Coolidge, the Leeward Islands facing Trinidad & Tobago at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and the Grenada National Stadium hosting Guyana and the Windward Islands.
West Indies Women lost their ICC Women’s World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand by 32 runs in Cape Town on Monday.
Chasing 123-5 made by the Kiwis, the West Indies limped to 91-7 in their 20 overs.
Maddy Green top scored for New Zealand with 47 from 37 balls after her team had slipped to 32-3 in the seventh over. Suzie Bates and Green added 26 for the fourth wicket before the former was dismissed for 30.
Green and Brooke Halliday then added 56 for the fifth that took the score to 114 when Halliday was run out for 24 in the 20th over.
Green added the remaining runs before the innings closed.
Captain Hayley Matthews was the best of the West Indies bowlers with 1-6 from her two overs. There was also a wicket each for Chinelle Henry, Karishman Ramharack and Shakera Selman.
As has become the norm in recent matches, the West Indies lost wickets early and were 25-3 in the eighth over.
Matthews had scored 15 of the West Indies’ 20 runs before she was dismissed.
Shemaine Campbelle top scored with 26 and Chinelle Henry with 23 were the only batters into double figures as they put on 51 for the fourth wicket.
Amelia Kerr who accounted for Henry’s wicket finished with figures of 3-20 from her four overs as the Caribbean women slumped to defeat.
This was the West Indies Women’s 13th loss in 14 matches since their last win which came against New Zealand in September 2022.
Steve Smith believes a series triumph in India would represent a bigger achievement for Australia than winning the Ashes.
Australia begin a four-match tour of India in Nagpur on Thursday, as they bid to win three successive men's Test series for the first time since doing so between November 2015 and February 2016.
The tourists are under no illusions as to the size of the task awaiting them in India, with their hosts only losing one of their last 15 Tests on home soil against Australia (W11 D3).
Having helped Australia to a crushing 4-0 series win over old rivals England in the last Ashes series in 2021-22, Smith believes a successful tour of India would beat that achievement.
"I think if we could win in India, that'd be bigger than an Ashes series," Smith told cricket.com.au.
"It's a difficult place to win a Test match, let alone a series, so if we were able to topple that mountain, it would be huge."
Team-mate David Warner echoed Smith's thoughts, saying: "Being a part of that last Ashes was fantastic, but to go to India and beat India is the toughest challenge in Test cricket for us.
"I'm really looking forward to the tour, it's always a hard graft and one thing I'm looking forward to is applying myself against the best spinners in the world."
While India have claimed victory in six of their last eight red-ball series against Australia, the tourists enter Thursday's first contest in excellent form, topping the world Test rankings and boasting a collective batting average of 46 since the start of 2022, the best of any team in that time.
Captain Pat Cummins also believes a series win in India would rank among the team's finest achievements, adding: "Winning a series in India is like an away Ashes series, but even more rare.
"I think that really is a career highlight, an era-defining series, if you can win one over there. So that's our opportunity and we can't wait.
West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul broke a long-standing record for Test opening partnerships on Monday’s third day of the first Test against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo as the West Indies went to lunch on 374-2.
Resuming from their overnight score of 221-0 with Brathwaite on 116 and Chanderpaul on 101, the pair took their opening partnership to 336 before Brathwaite was trapped leg before wicket to Wellington Masakadza for 182. The score broke the record for the best-ever West Indies opening partnership of 298 by the West Indies iconic opening pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes that was made against England in 1990.
They also became the first opening pair to bat in excess of 100 overs in an innings in the 21st century only the second opening pair to face over 600 deliveries in a Test innings, falling just short of the record held by Sri Lanka’s Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, who had played 114.2 overs against Pakistan.
It is also the ninth-highest opening partnership in Test cricket history and the first time that both West Indies openers have gone past 150 in the same innings.
Brathwaite’s marathon knock lasted 312 balls and included 18 fours.
In a bid to accelerate the scoring rate, Kyle Mayers, who replaced Brathwaite scored 20 from 24 balls in a partnership of 37 with Chanderpaul before was bowled by Brandon Mavuta with the score at 373.
Dropped at deep backward square leg on 150, Chanderpaul remains unbeaten on 161 with Raymon Reifer on one at the other end.
Masakadza has so far taken 1-53 from 22 overs while Mavuda has figures of 1-99 from the 32 overs he has bowled so far.
Usman Khawaja "went Usain Bolt" to make his flight to India after a series of hold-ups delayed the batsman's departure from Australia ahead of this week's first Test.
Khawaja was forced to remain in Brisbane after not receiving a visa in time to make his scheduled flight last week, before two delayed flights further frustrated his bid to reach India.
The batter was eventually forced to race through Delhi Airport to make the final leg of his journey to Bangalore, where he met up with his Australia team-mates ahead of the four-Test tour.
"I went Usain Bolt trying to make my connection," Khawaja told cricket.com.au. "I somehow got on that flight – the last flight of the whole night – and got here.
"From the time I left Melbourne to here it was 24 hours. That's just life, you just have to deal with it. It's no biggie, I'm here now and ready to go."
While the delay meant Khawaja only managed a single training session before Australia departed for Nagpur ahead of the first Test starting on Thursday, he does not believe it will have an impact when the series gets under way.
He also shrugged off David Warner's claim of being "exhausted" ahead of the tour, saying: "Trying to get on seven different flights to get to India, then get here – we're all tired, we're all fatigued.
"That's just part and parcel of being a cricketer. Once you're on the field, it's just game on. It's the same with Davey.
"I've scored runs a lot of times when I have been tired and fatigued, you just have to find a way sometimes. I'm sure Davey will find a way."
India have only lost one of their last 15 men's Tests at home to Australia, while their current run of three successive series triumphs against the Aussies is the longest in their history.
However, Australia have only lost one of their last 10 Test series (W7 D2), and they could rack up three consecutive series wins for the first time since February 2016.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul scored his maiden Test century and Captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored his 12th as the West Indies closed another rain shortened second day in the first Test against Zimbabwe on 221-0 at Bulawayo.
The West Indies had resumed from their overnight score of 112-0 with both batsmen on 55.
In the 48 overs possible on Sunday because of a wet outfield caused by heavy downpour on Saturday, the 26-year-old Chanderpaul, playing in only his third Test, progressed to score 101 not out.
His 100 came up off 296 balls and included 10 fours and a six. It was the first time since 2013 that a West Indies opener other than Brathwaite had scored a Test century.
Brathwaite, meanwhile, had scored yet another century to be unbeaten on 116. His ton that included only seven fours came from 226 balls.
The 221-run opening stand marked the first time West Indies has put on a double-century opening partnership since 2012 and was just the 10th double century opening partnership in West Indies history and the seventh pair to do so.
The partnership was also the highest ever opening stand against Zimbabwe.
The 150-run stand came up in 67.2 overs while the 200-run partnership was achieved in 83.2 overs.
Josh Hazlewood's rotten luck with injuries has continued after he was ruled out of the opening Test between India and Australia.
Hazlewood, who has played only four Tests in the last two years, will not feature in Nagpur on Thursday due to an Achilles issue, with Scott Boland in line to play instead.
A side injury suffered against West Indies in November saw Hazlewood miss not only the second Test of that series, but also the first two matches against South Africa in December.
He returned for the final Test of that series, taking 5-57 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but will now have to recover from another niggle.
Hazlewood joins fellow paceman Mitchell Starc in missing the first Test of the four-match India series, while all-rounder Cameron Green is also a doubt, meaning an overseas bow for Boland is likely.
Boland has taken 28 wickets across his six Test appearances.
Discussing the injury, Hazlewood said: "It's still lingering from the [Sydney] Test match [against South Africa].
"We obviously bowled after a lot of rain and the jump-offs were quite soft, where we were taking off from and they ended up replacing them as well.
"It sort of worked to a degree, but just that extra load jumping off a soft ground to bowl and again first Test match your body is not used to that sort of workload as well.
"So we thought we'd give it a few days here straight off the bat and try and get over the hump and have a bowl from Tuesday and hope it goes well."
Boland has the full backing of his team-mate, however.
"Scotty has bowled plenty at the MCG when it was a flat wicket, it probably wasn't swinging or reverse swinging so he knows how to work hard for a long period of time," Hazlewood said.
"You've got Lance Morris who has worked hard on reverse swing for the last month and then a nice lead in here with a few sessions.
"The guys are excited first of all to play in the subcontinent, they both haven't yet, but they're very well qualified to do so."
Jamaica Scorpions debutant Abhijai Mansingh, who entered the match as a substitute after Alwyn Williams was ruled out on the first day, played a starring role to help his team secure a tense draw on day four of their West Indies Championship fixture against the Leeward Island’s Hurricanes at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Day four began with the Hurricanes on 198-7 off 65 overs, leading by 224 runs with Cornwall on 56 and Hayden Walsh Jr on 13.
The first wicket of the day fell in the 69th over when Walsh Jr fell for 23 with the score on 221.
The final two Hurricanes wickets fell in consecutive deliveries in the 74th over when Jamie Merchant removed Cornwall for 85 and Sheeno Berridge for one. In the end, the Leewards were bowled out for 241 in 73.5 overs, leaving the Scorpions needing 268 for victory.
Jamie Merchant ended with 4-43 off his 20.5 overs.
The Scorpions chase started well as openers Kirk McKenzie and Leroy Lugg put on 32 in 6.5 overs before a rain delay forced the teams into an early lunch break.
After the resumption, the pair added just five more runs before Lugg fell caught behind off the bowling of Sheeno Berridge for seven in the ninth over.
Two runs and one over later, McKenzie fell in a similar fashion off the bowling of Jeremiah Louis for 28.
Romaine Morris and Aldane Thomas then put on a 34-run third wicket partnership before Thomas chipped one in the air off Collin Archibald and got caught for 12 in the 16th over to leave the Scorpions 73-3.
Morris fell soon after for 22 to leave the score 75-4 in the 19th over. Captain Paul Palmer Jr was next to go for eight in the 26th over, bringing Jamie Merchant to the crease to join Mansingh.
The pair batted beautifully in the lead-up to the tea interval, putting on 60 for the sixth wicket to leave the Scorpions 142-5 at tea, needing 126 runs to win with Mansingh and Merchant both unbeaten on 31.
After the tea break, Merchant reached 47 before falling off the bowling of Cornwall to leave the Scorpions 174-6.
The 51st over saw Mansingh bring up his second fifty of the game off 106 balls.
Mansingh and Marquino Mindley brought the score up to 183 in the 58th over before Mindley became the seventh wicket to fall, caught off the bowling of Kofi James for three.
Akim Fraser became Cornwall’s fourth victim of the innings when he was trapped in front for one to leave the Scorpions 194-8. With no more runs added, Cornwall took his tenth wicket of the match when he removed Gordon Bryan for a duck, leaving the Hurricanes needing just one wicket to secure victory.
In the end, Mansingh ended up not out on 62 off 209 balls while Patrick Harty made an important one off 27 balls as the Jamaicans finished 200-9 after 82 overs.
Cornwall ended up with figures of 5-41 off 31 overs.
Scores: Leeward Islands Hurricanes 260 off 118.3 overs (Jeremiah Louis 78*, Jahmar Hamiton 40, Marquino Mindley 3-29, Abhijai Mansingh 3-47) and 241 off 73.5 overs (Rakheem Cornwall 85, Montcin Hodge 31, Jamie Merchant 4-43, Abhijai Mansingh 2-30, Patrick Harty 2-56)
Jamaica Scorpions 234 off 82.4 overs (Leroy Lugg 79, Abhijai Mansingh 56, Paul Palmer Jr 47, Rakheem Cornwall 5-54, Sheeno Berridge 2-25, Colin Archibald 2-37) and 200-9 off 82 overs (Abhijai Mansingh 62*, Jamie Merchant 47, Kirk McKenzie 28, Rakheem Cornwall 5-41)
Pacer Nial Smith took his third five-wicket haul in first-class cricket to lead the Guyana Harpy Eagles to a 183-run win over the Barbados Pride on day four of their first round West Indies Championship encounter at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua on Saturday.
The Harpy Eagles started day four on 91-8, leading the Pride by 242 runs with Veerasammy Permaul (11) and Smith (0) at the crease.
Permaul added some valuable lower-order runs before he was dismissed by Chaim Holder for 33 before the Harpy Eagles declared their innings at 126-9 after 44.1 overs with Smith finishing not out on 12.
Needing 277 to win, Barbados lost their first wicket in just the second over as Smith removed first innings half-centurion Sheyne Moseley for a duck with the score on five.
It was 9-2 just an over later as Zachary McCaskie was dismissed by Shamar Joseph for four.
Jonathan Drakes and Shamarh Brooks tried to revive the innings with a 21-run third wicket partnership before Brooks was dismissed by Ronsford Beaton for 12 in the 17th over with the score on 30.
The Pride then lost three wickets for just three runs as Nicholas Kirton, SHamarh Springer and captain Shane Dowrich all fell without scoring to leave them teetering at 38-6 in the 21st over.
A 33-run seventh wicket partnership between Drakes and Akeem Jordan delayed the inevitable for a while before Jordan was dismissed by Smith in the 32nd over for 20.
Drakes was next to go for a fighting 99-ball 36, caught off the bowling of Smith in the 34th over with the score on 78.
Keon Harding (7) and Jair McAllister (4) were the final two wickets to fall as the Pride were eventually bowled out for 94 in 36 overs.
Smith finished with figures of 5-31 off 10 overs while Ronsford Beaton and Veerasammy Permaul took two wickets each.
Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 371 off 121.1 overs (Matthew Nandu 126, Kevin Sinclair 43, Veerasammy Permaul 37, Jair McAllister 3-43, Chaim Holder 3-72) and 126-9 declared off 44.1 overs (Veerasammy Permaul 33, Matthew Nandu 16, Akeem Jordan 3-18, Keon Harding 3-37)
Barbados Pride 220-9 off 91.2 overs (Sheyne Moseley 65, Shamarh Brooks 51, Shemar Springer 35*, Veerasammy Permaul 4-53, Kevin Sinclair 3-65, Shamar Joseph 2-33) and 94 off 36 overs (Jonathan Drakes 36, Akeem Jordan 20, Nial Smith 5-31, Ronsford Beaton 2-11, Veerasammy Permaul 2-18)
Only 51 overs were possible as rain played a massive part on day one of the first Test between the West Indies and Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday.
On a flat pitch, Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat first.
Brathwaite and opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul then both played typical patient knocks to end the day 112-0 after 51 overs when the heavens opened.
In the process, Brathwaite brought up his 29th Test fifty while Chanderpaul, playing in just his third match, brought up his second half century in Tests.
Both batsmen ended the day not out on 55, with Brathwaite’s knock coming off 138 balls and including two fours and Chanderpaul’s coming off 170 balls and including eight boundaries.
Spirited late spells from pacers Akeem Jordan and Keon Harding helped the Barbados Pride set up an interesting final day of play on Saturday against the Guyana Harpy Eagles in their first round West Indies Championship fixture at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua.
Friday’s day four started with the Pride’s overnight pair of Shamarh Brooks and Keon Harding adding a further 54 runs to their overnight 105-3 before Harding was dismissed by Veerasammy Permaul for 24 in the 63rd over.
That wicket brought Nicholas Kirton to the crease but he did not last long before getting dismissed by Kevin Sinclair for two in the 66th over.
Brooks and new batsman Shemar Springer took the Pride to lunch without the loss of any more wickets, finishing 166-5 off 67 overs with Brooks on 47 and Springer yet to get off the mark.
Brooks brought up his fifty shortly after lunch but failed to kick on, being dismissed by Permaul for 51 with the score on 178 in the 71st over.
It quickly became 178-7 after Sinclair removed Akeem Jordan for a duck.
The Pride only batted with 10 as captain Shane Dowrich was unable to bat.
Springer made a crucial 35 not out as Chaim Holder (13) and Jair McAllister (2) both fell as the Pride ended their innings 220-9 off 91.2 overs, trailing Guyana by 151 runs.
Veerasammy Permaul finished with 4-53 from 26.2 overs while Kevin Sinclair took 3-65 in his 24 overs.
The beginning of the Harpy Eagles’ second innings was not ideal as Tevin Imlach was dismissed by Jair McAllister for a duck in just the second over with the score on three.
The tight opening spells by McAllister and Jordan paid dividends when Jordan trapped Kemol Savory in front for a duck in the seventh over to leave the Harpy Eagles 4-2.
First innings centurion Matthew Nandu was then joined by captain Leon Johnson and the pair added some respectability to the total with a 38-run partnership before Johnson became Keon Harding’s first victim for 12 in the 17th over.
Next it was Shemar Springer’s turn to get in on the fun, dismissing Anthony Bramble for one to leave the Guyanese reeling at 49-4 in the 20th over.
Kevin Sinclair also failed to significantly trouble the scorers before he became Harding’s second victim, falling for one in the 23rd over.
The 25th over saw wicket number six fall as Nandu was removed by Harding for a 77-ball 16.
Three overs later, Chanderpaul Hemraj went caught behind off the bowling of Akeem Jordan for 15.
Shamar Joseph became Jordan’s third wicket, going for four in the 32nd over to leave the score at 90-8.
The Harpy Eagles ended the day 91-8 off 33 overs with Permaul (11) and Nial Smith (0) at the crease. They have a lead of 242 runs heading into day four.
Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 371 off 121.1 overs (Matthew Nandu 126, Kevin Sinclair 43, Veerasammy Permaul 37, Jair McAllister 3-43, Chaim Holder 3-72) and 91-8 off 33 overs (Matthew Nandu 16, Akeem Jordan 3-18, Keon Harding 3-37)
Barbados Pride 220-9 off 91.2 overs (Sheyne Moseley 65, Shamarh Brooks 51, Shemar Springer 35*, Veerasammy Permaul 4-53, Kevin Sinclair 3-65, Shamar Joseph 2-33)
The Leeward Islands Hurricanes will enter the fourth and final day of their round one West Indies Championship fixture against the Jamaica Scorpions at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua with a 224-run second innings lead with four wickets in hand.
Friday’s day three started with Jamaica batting on 186-6 off 60 overs with Abhijai Mansingh (34) and Gordon Bryan (0) at the crease.
The day did not start well for the Scorpions as Bryan failed to add to his overnight total before being bowled by Rakheem Cornwall, bringing Marquino Mindley to the crease.
Jamaica’s 200 was brought up when Mindley hit Hayden Walsh Jr for a six, shortly before Cornwall completed his 23rd first-class five wicket haul by dismissing Mindley for 19 in the 71st over. The Scorpions were 211-8 at that point.
The ninth wicket fell when Sheeno Berridge removed Akim Fraser for five to leave the Scorpions 225-9 in the 81st over.
The very next over saw Mansingh bring up a well-compiled debut half-century off 171 balls with a boundary off Jeremiah Louis.
The innings eventually came to an end when Mansingh, looking to score quick runs, was dismissed by Berridge for 56 off 176 balls. The Scorpions made 234 in 82.4 overs, trailing the Hurricanes by 26 runs on first innings.
Cornwall was the pick of the Hurricanes bowlers with 5-54 off 28 overs while pacers Sheeno Berridge and Colin Archibald took two wickets each.
With a tricky period to bat before lunch, Hurricanes openers Montcin Hodge and Kieran Powell successfully negotiated the attack from the Jamaican bowlers. They entered the break 12-0 with Powell on eight and Hodge on four.
The post-lunch session saw them continue to bat sensibly, reaching 55 in the 18th over before Hodge fell to Jamie Merchant for 31.
Merchant was at it again just after the drinks break, this time dismissing Powell 28 with the score on 66 in the 22nd over.
Keacy Carty and Kofi James provided a 28-run partnership before James went for 18 off the bowling of Akim Fraser.
Captain Jahmar Hamilton then came and went, bowled by Patrick Harty for nine to leave the score at 109-4 after 35 overs.
The Hurricanes added just one run before entering the tea interval at 110-4 with Carty on 19 and Terrance Ward yet to get off the mark.
Shortly after the resumption, Carty became Harty’s second victim for 26 with the score on 119.
Mansingh then got in on the second innings wickets, dismissing Warde for four to leave the Hurricanes 154-6, leading by 180 runs. Mansingh got his second wicket when he dismissed first innings half centurion Jeremiah Louis for six leaving the Leewards 166-7.
That was the end of the wicket-taking for the day as Rakheem Cornwall and Hayden Walsh Jr fought off the Scorpions bowling to reach 198-7 off 65 overs at stumps, leading by 224 runs. Cornwall brought up his half century, his 16th in first-class cricket, off 56 balls in the 60th over.
Scores: Leeward Islands Hurricanes 260 off 118.3 overs (Jeremiah Louis 78*, Jahmar Hamiton 40, Marquino Mindley 3-29, Abhijai Mansingh 3-47) and 198-7 off 65 overs (Rakheem Cornwall 56*, Montcin Hodge 31, Jamie Merchant 2-27, Abhijai Mansingh 2-30, Patrick Harty 2-56)
Jamaica Scorpions 234 off 82.4 overs (Leroy Lugg 79, Abhijai Mansingh 56, Paul Palmer Jr 47, Rakheem Cornwall 5-54, Sheeno Berridge 2-25, Colin Archibald 2-37).
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