Jayden Seales scored a career-best 70* from No.11 to rescue Trinidad and Tobago in the final of the West Indies Championship.
Seales came out to bat when Trinidad and Tobago were reduced to 162-9 against defending champions Guyana on day one of the West Indies’ domestic first-class final. He proceeded to add 98 runs with No.10 Anderson Phillip, to take his team to a fighting 260 in the first innings. He was also their top-scorer.
Batting first, T&T lost Evin Lewis without adding a run to the board. Cephas Cooper and Jyd Goolie tried to steady the ship with a 47-run stand, but Shamar Joseph broke the partnership before Kemo Paul took his second of the innings to get Jason Mohammed caught behind.
That triggered a big collapse. Trinidad and Tobago went from 69-2 to 84-6, as Liam Smith took three wickets in seven balls. Captain Joshua Da Silva, the tournament’s top scorer coming into the game, fell for a golden duck. Terrace Hinds and Khary Pierre took their side past the 100-run mark with a 60-run stand, but the left-arm spin-bowling pair of Veerasammy Permaul and Gudakesh Motie took three quick wickets between them.
Final, Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force
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The tail-end pair of Phillip and Seales were then required to save the day. The duo held down the fort until the end of day one, adding 78 runs for the final wicket, with Seales on 63 off 71, having hit six fours and two maximums. Phillip finished the day on 15 off 46, with Trinidad and Tobago at 240-9.
They added 20 more runs to the overnight score the next morning before Paul removed Phillip in the 12th over on day two to bowl T&T out for 260. Seales remained unbeaten for 70 off 100, his highest-ever score in professional cricket and maiden fifty across formats. Seales’ previous best in first-class cricket was 33, with 493 runs scored at 9.66 in 55 matches ahead of the ongoing final.
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